March for Our Lives: Thousands march in Rochester

Thousands took part in the Rochester version of Saturday's March For Our Lives.

The nationwide protest against gun violence was punctuated by the biggest march in Washington, D.C., where as many as 500,000 people reportedly marched. The protesters hope to change laws to prevent another school mass shooting like the one that took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida last month where 17 people were killed.

And while the nation's capital served as ground zero, sibling events to the march were unfolding in cities large and small across the United States.

The Rochester Police Department reported that an estimated 5,000 people attended the student-organized Rochester rally. Police said the rally ended without any issues or arrests.

No obvious counter-demonstrators were visible, though some opponents of gun control measures swiftly took to social media to criticize reports of the march and the marchers.

Brighton High School teacher Jennifer Pacatte attended the rally with six of her students.

“It’s amazing to see the city and the surrounding communities come together for a common cause," Pacatte said. "But the most important thing is the kids, to see the students lead this. It was our own Dylan (Holcomb) who kind of spearheaded this whole thing.”

Terra Peter, a Brighton High School senior, said it is important that the voices of young people are heard.

“After the shooting in Parkland, it just hit so close to home," Peter said. "Those were people my age, people going off to college, and I just felt like it can’t happen again. It felt empowering for me to be out here.”

“It’s very heartening," added Grace Crowe, also a Brighton senior. "It’s amazing to see the love and support of people coming together. Finally, finally, I think we’re waking up and realizing that we need to make a change.”

The protest started at Washington Square Park, 181 S. Clinton Ave. The rally was followed with a ¾-mile march through downtown. It concluded back at Washington Square Park.

Marchers moved west on Court Street, north on Exchange Boulevard, east on Broad Street, south on Bausch & Lomb Place and back to the park.

"School safety is not a political issue," according to the March For Our Lives mission statement. "There cannot be two sides to doing everything in our power to ensure the lives and futures of children who are at risk of dying when they should be learning, playing, and growing. The mission and focus of March For Our Lives is to demand that a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address these gun issues."

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren was among the speakers during the rally. "It will be the young people of 2018 that will finally put an end to senseless gun violence in the United States of America," she said.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who earlier in the day participated in a march in New York City, directed that the lights of One World Trade Center's 408-foot spire be lit in orange Saturday night in honor of the nationwide March For Our Lives rallies. He commended the youth leading the fight for gun safety reform.

Youth organizers from Teen Empowerment shared their perspective. Freemonta Strong, one of the youth organizers, said, "These bullets can hit anyone, at anytime, anywhere." They wanted to shine a light on what happens in their neighborhoods.

Lentory Johnson lost her 25-year-old son Johnny Ray Johnson in the shooting outside of the Boys & Girls Club on Genesee Street in Rochester in 2015. He was among three young men who were killed.

Her plea to the thousands assembled felt like a sermon. She implored those gathered, especially the young people, to be part of a movement, not a moment.

"Commit," she said. "Make change come. Organize and take back our neighborhoods."

"Support your children," she continued. "The one thing I’ve learned — and it’s more profound to me after the loss of my child — is that youth don’t wait for nothing. They don’t accept excuses. They let nothing get in the way."

The Rochester rally followed area-wide school walkouts on March 14. Students from several Monroe County schools, including Brighton High School and School of the Arts, participated in nationally organized walkouts, exiting their buildings from approximately 10 a.m. to 10:17 a.m. to call for gun control legislation and shed greater light on the issue of gun violence.

Tommie Cranker of Rochester said he was spurred to attend the rally Saturday after seeing massive turnouts for sister rallies across the country.

"The young people who are doing this are so inspiring," Cranker said. "We've been home all morning watching the coverage in D.C., and it just compels you to come out and show them that you're behind them. It's time for us as the adults to sit back and listen to what they have to say."

The turnout brought "tears to my eyes," Cranker added. "You think first, 'How much did we fail these kids?' And then you think second, 'What's next?' I look around today and I've seen a couple of signs that say, 'Am I next?' That alone breaks my heart. I hope the message isn't lost on those in Washington. I don't see how you could be so heartless to not pay attention to this."

Van Gutier, 29, was a counter-protester at the Phoenix, Ariz., rally, and his comments were typical of those who stand in opposition to the rallies. He said he was at that protest "standing up for the Bill of Rights."

"I don't want the government coming up with definitions of who is mentally ill. The government overreaches. The government cares about power. It will try to retain that power by disarming its citizens."

He said banning guns won't stop mass shootings.

“We need to take ownership over ourselves," Gutier said.

WCLEVELAND@Gannett.com

Includes reporting from USA TODAY.