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March for our Lives in Guelph supports those south of the border (7 photos)

A Guelph rally Saturday attracted 80 people in support of the huge rally in Washington, D.C.

Saturday's March For Our Lives rally in Downtown Guelph attracted roughly 80 people intent on standing in solidarity with hundreds of thousands of others doing the same thing around the world.

The local rally was one of hundreds being held around the world, most notably in Washington, D.C., in response to gun violence and in particular the killing of 17 students at a Florida high school on Valentine's Day.

The key rally in Washington drew an estimated 800,000 people, calling for stricter gun-control legislation.

The Guelph event was organized by Andrews Reyes, a Grade 12 student at Bishop Macdonell high school.

Reyes asked how many of those gathered in Market Square how many were students, with roughly 20 raising their hands. Others identified themselves as teachers, social workers, parents and grandparents.

"There is more concern than just from students," he said. "This is an effort from all sides.

"More importantly, the people who have suffered through and been victims of gun violence come from all over. They're students, teachers, parents, brothers, sisters, daughters, sons."

Reyes said in preparation for Saturday he read through the names of the 17 who died at the Florida high school.

"I've never gone through anything like that in my life before ... its's one of the big reasons I'm doing this. It's unimaginable, those people being gone, and especially because of something that we have all the means to correct.

"It's something that doesn't mean to be there."

The crowd stood silent for 18 minutes: one minute for each of the victims of the Parkland high school shooting and one for the survivors.


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Tony Saxon

About the Author: Tony Saxon

Tony Saxon has had a rich and varied 30 year career as a journalist, an award winning correspondent, columnist, reporter, feature writer and photographer.
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