A group of US students who survived a February mass shooting at their school in Parkland, Florida, launched a nationwide bus tour on Friday to advocate for stricter gun laws at a rally in the city of Chicago.

The planned 50-stop "Road to Change" bus tour across more than 20 states has the goal of registering young voters who are prepared to cast their ballot for tougher gun control measures in a country that saw 11,000 cases of manslaughter or murder involving a firearm in 2016.

US students protest against gun violence Walk-outs across the nation From Arizona to Washington DC, students have walked out of classrooms to protest gun violence after the deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen students were killed when a former student walked onto the premises and opened fire using an AR-15 rifle.

US students protest against gun violence Stop gun violence Many of the students held signs reading "Never again" and "End gun violence." Teenagers at some of the schools called for the AR-15 and similar assault rifles to be banned for civilian use, saying they should be reserved for the armed forces. Others called for stricter measures to acquire arms. "Innocent people are dying because of the easy access to firearms in this country," said one student.

US students protest against gun violence Demanding change Over the past decade, the US has witnessed several deadly mass shootings, including in Las Vegas, Orlando and Sandy Hook. Many students view the Parkland shooting as part of inaction by lawmakers to curb access to guns. "They send out their thoughts and their prayers, and we appreciate that, but that's enough," said one student. "We need change."

US students protest against gun violence Some educators not supportive But not all educators were supportive of the students. "Life is all about choices and every choice has a consequence whether it be positive or negative," said Superintendent Curtis Rhodes of Texas' Needville Independent School District. "We will discipline no matter if it is one, 50 or 500 students involved." ls/sms (AP, AFP)



The tour is to take in both communities that have been affected by gun violence and those where politicians backed by the powerful National Rifle Association, which vehemently opposes controls on firearms, are seeking office.

Several students from the school have become gun control activists since the February 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in which 17 students and staff were killed.

Read more: 8 facts about gun control in the US

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Rampant gun violence

The students chose Chicago as the first stop of their tour because the city has such a poor record on gun violence, with 950 shootings and more than 220 murders so far this year.

At the rally, which is an annual event in the city to highlight gun violence, Parkland student Kyrah Simon told the crowd: "Our voices, your voices united are stronger than anything else."

Gabby Giffords, a politician who was seriously wounded in a 2011 shooting, also spoke at the event, urging the crowd of some 1,000 mostly young people to vote for the change they wanted.

The Parkland students have rekindled the gun control debate in the US, inspiring demonstrations around the globe under their motto "March For Our Lives." Among other things, they have succeeded in pressuring Florida lawmakers into tightening gun laws, including raising the legal age for purchasing a firearm from 18 to 21.

Read more: US states launch gun violence research group, bypassing Congress

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tj/jlw (AP, AFP)

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