
Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world turned out for March For Our Lives events against gun violence on Saturday in a coordinated global protest that was organized by the teenage survivors of the Parkland massacre.

The main event was held in Washington DC where survivors from Stoneman Douglas High School gave passionate speeches calling for gun reform.

They were joined by a raft of stars including George and Amal Clooney, who donated $500,000 to the event, Jimmy Fallon, Steven Spielberg, Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus.

Another 800 events were held around the world for the same cause.

The DC march began at noon on Pennsylvania Avenue but large crowds had already formed by 8.30am, hours before the official event began. The crowd grew in size until an estimated 800,000 people were together.

Between noon and 3pm, 20 young speakers gave speeches and celebrity singers including Andra Day and Jennifer Hudson performed in front of the crowds.

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Hundreds of thousands of people filled Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington DC on Saturday for the March For Our Lives against gun violence

The DC march began on Pennsylvania Avenue at noon on Saturday. It has been organized by the teenage survivors of the Parkland shooting on February 14

Hours before the event began, the streets in DC were filled and students the crowds looked towards the Capitol where a stafe was set up

The March For Our Lives in Washington DC on Saturday concluded with a performance from Jennifer Hudson who, afterwards, was joined on the stage by the 20 young speakers from the event. They included Parkland school shooting survivors

Hudson is a victim of gun violence too. Her mother, brother and nephew were all murdered in 2008. They were shot to death. She is pictured hugging Stoneman Douglas student Emma Gonzalez as 11-year-old Naomi Wadler, one of the event speakers, looks out towards the crowd

Emma Gonzalez, one of the most vocal of the event organizers, went silent on stage until she had been there for 6 minutes and 20 seconds, the amount of time it took gunman Nikolas Cruz to murder 17 people at Stoneman Douglas on February 14

Parkland survivor David Hogg, 17, was among the 20 young speakers at the Washington DC event. At the end of his impassioned speech, he took a presidential tone and said: 'Thank you, I love you all. God bless you and God bless the United States of America'

TRUMP STAYS QUIET ON MARCHES BUT TWEETS SUPPORT FOR FRANCE President Trump stayed silent on the March For Our Lives protests happening around the world on Saturday. Instead, his only tweet was reserved for France. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the horrible attack in France yesterday, and we grieve the nation’s loss. 'We also condemn the violent actions of the attacker and anyone who would provide him support. We are with you!' he said. His message was in reference to a shooting at a supermarket in the south of France which left three people dead. In a statement to CNN, the White House acknowledged the protests. 'We applaud the many courageous young Americans exercising their First Amendment rights today. 'Keeping our children safe is a top priority of the President's, which is why he urged Congress to pass the Fix NICS and STOP School Violence Acts, and signed them into law,' it read. Trump boasted about the rule on Friday night online. The activists want more action and are asking for assault rifles to be outlawed, something which has not promised. Advertisement

A satellite image provided by DigitalGlobe showed the massive crowd at the March For Our Lives rally in Washington, DC on Saturday.

Digital Globe called the nationwide demonstrations calling for gun control, collectively, one of the biggest youth protests since the Vietnam era.

The first of the speakers in Washington DC was Cameron Kasky, one of the teenage survivors of the Parkland shooting.

He paid tribute to Nicholas Dworet, one of the victims, who would have turned 18 on Saturday had he not been killed.

'We hereby promise to fix the broken system we've been forced in to. Don't worry, we've got this.

'The people of this country now see past the lies. We have seen this narrative before. [But] the corrupt aren't manipulating the facts [anymore]. We know the truth.

'Shooting after shooting, people now see the one thing that they all had in common - the weapons,' he said.

David Hogg, one of the Stoneman Douglas survivors who has been at the forefront of the issue ever since, spoke confidently about the event on Saturday morning in an early interview with GMA.

'Today we are going to start a revolution.

'This is the beginning of a lifelong marathon not only for me but for my generation.

'We are sick and tired of the inaction here in Washington and around the country at different state capitals and different cities, of politicians that are owned by the NRA and not listening to the constituents of America.

'We are the children. We are making our voices heard and we will change America with or without these politicians and today is the beginning of that revolution,' he declared.

Later, in his own speech, he spoke of the 'cold shackles of corruption' which is gripping the NRA and slammed the government for not doing more.

'If you listen real close you can hear the people in power shaking.

'They've gotten used to being protective of their position, through the safety of inaction. Inaction is no longer safe. To that, we say, no more!'

Hogg spoke of making gun violence a 'voting issue' which will lead the primary elections.

'We are going to take this to every election to every state and every city.

'We are going to make sure the best people get in to run, not as politicians but as Americans,' he fumed.

Emma Gonzalez was quiet on stage for several minutes as she waited for 6 minutes and 20 seconds to go by, the exact amoutn of time it took Nikolas Cruz to slaughter 17 on February 14

Parkland survivor Alex Wind fought tears as he gave his own speech at the Washington DC event

Delaney Tarr, another of the Parkland survivors, speaks in front of the US Capitol on Saturday afternoon

Cameron Kasky, a survivor of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, speaks at the march (left) and Trevon 'Tre' Bosley, (right), 19, the brother of Terrell Bosley who was killed in Chicago in 2006 in a case of mistaken identity

Naomi Wadler, 11, is from Virginia, Alexander. She gave an uplifting speech about her hopes to reduce the disproportionate rate of gun violence deaths among African American women

Yolanda Renee King, Martin Luther King Jr's nine-year-old granddaughter, also spoke at the event. She said she, like her grandfather, had a 'dream' but hers was for a gun-free world

Pointing to the Capitol, he added: 'This... is not cutting it. At the end of the speech, he told the crowd: 'I love you all. God bless you and God bless the United States of America'.

The final speech was the most compelling.

It was delivered by Emma Gonzalez, who was in Stoneman Douglas on February 14 when gunman Nikolas Cruz stormed the building with an AR-15.

During the middle of her speech, Emma went silent for several minutes until she had been on stage for a total of 6 minutes and 20 seconds - the exact amount of time it took Cruz to murder 17 people and injure 15 more.

'Six minutes and 20 seconds... In a little over six minutes, 17 of our friends were taken, 15 were injured and everyone, absolutely everyone, in the Douglas community was forever altered,' she said.

'Everyone who was there understands. who has been touched by the cold grip of gun violence understands. For us, long, tearful chaotic hours in the scorching afternoon sun were spent not knowing.

'No one understood the extent of what had happened. No one could believe that there were bodies in that building waiting to be identified for over a day.

'No one knew that the people who were missing had stopped breathing long before any of us even knew that a code red had been called. No one could comprehend the devastating aftermath or how far this would reach or where this would go.'

She went on to honor some of the lives lost on that day, at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

'For those who still can't comprehend, because they refuse to, I will tell you where it went,' she said. 'Right into the ground, six feet deep.'

'Six minutes and 20 seconds with an AR-15, and my friend Carmen [Schentrup] would never complain to me about piano practice. Aaron Feis would never call [Kiera] "Miss Sunshine." Alex Schachter would never walk into school with his brother, Ryan. Scott Beigel would never joke around with Cameron at camp. Helena Ramsay would never hang out after school with Max. Gina Montalto would never wave to her friend, Liam, at lunch. Joaquin Oliver would never play basketball with Sam or Dylan,' she said.

She went on: 'Alaina Petty would never. Cara Loughran would never. Chris Hixon would never. Luke Hoyer would never. Martin Duque Anguiano would never. Peter Wang would never. Alyssa Alhadeff would never. Jamie Guttenberg would never. Meadow Pollack would never.'

Her personal memories of the students who died that day filled the air and hung heavy, as she stood strongly without another word until a timer went off, and she spoke again.

'Since the time that I came out here, it has been six minutes and 20 seconds. The shooter has ceased shooting and will soon abandon his rifle, blend in with the students as they escape, and walk free for an hour before arrest,' she said.

'Fight for your lives before it's someone else's job,' she said, and walked off the stage.

The Parkland survivors called on the young audience to register to vote and asked them to make gun reform a central issue in the election.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Common, Andra Day, Vic Mensa and Ben Platt all performed.

This satellite image provided by DigitalGlobe shows the March For Our Lives rally in Washington, DC on Saturday

Digital Globe called the nationwide demonstratins calling for gun control, collectively, one of the biggest youth protests since the Vietnam era

George and Amal Clooney are pictured at the Washington DC March For Our Lives protest on Saturday. They donated $500,000 to the event

George and Amal Clooney watch the stage at the March For Our Lives in Washington DC on Saturday

Jimmy Fallon is also at the event in Washington DC. He also posed with Rodman backstage

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West attended the event with their daughter North. They are pictured backstage

Glenn Close and Cher hug backstage at the Washington DC March For Our Lives on Saturday afternoon

Steven Spielberg with his wife Kate Capshaw (left) and George Clooney is seen with Dennis Rodman (right)

It was 11-year-old Naomi Wadler from Alexandria, Virginia, who impressed the most with her soft-spoken eloquence.

In a speech dedicated to ending the disproportionate rate of gun deaths among African American women, Naomi quoted Toni Morrison to say: 'If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.

'Honor the girls, the women of color whose stories have not been told.'

In her own words, Naomi said: 'My friends and I might still be 11, and we might still be in elementary school but we know.

Ariana Grande (left) and Miley Cyrus (right) also performed at the event in Washington DC on Saturday

Singer Andra Day kicked off the performances in Washington DC rally with a children's choir from Baltimore who sang her hit Rise Up with her

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt perform on the stage at the March For Our Lives in Washington DC on Saturday

Demi Lovato also sang at the Washington DC march on Saturday as part of the March For Our Lives protest

'We also know that we stand in the shadow of the Capitol, and we know that we have 7 short years until we too have the right to vote.'

Her words set Twitter alight with praise and hopes of a future presidential run.

Yolanda Renee King, Martin Luther King Jr's granddaughter, also won hearts.

She gave an infectious and brief speech where she called on the crowd to recite her words back to her.

Invoking her grandfather's immortal words, she said with a beaming smile: 'I have a dream that enough is enough.

'And that this should be a gun free world, period. Spread the word! Let it be heard, all across the nation!

This was the scene on Pennsylvania Avenue at around 9am on Saturday morning as more and more protesters arrived with signs

Signs written in both English and Spanish were dotted among the fast-growing crowd on Saturday morning

Crowds gather in Washington DC on Saturday ahead of the March for Our Lives protest. In the crowds were young children, adults and teenagers

Young protesters in Washington DC carried signs demanding the outlawing of assault rifles like the AR-15 used by Nikolas Cruz to commit mass murder on February 14

Youngsters lead the march in Washington DC on Saturday at the March for Our Lives protest

A young man wears fake blood to symbolize the blood shed by shooting victims at the March for Our Lives protest on Saturday

A protester in Washington DC holds up a tribute to Parkland shooting victim Nicholas Dworet, 17, who was one of the 17 gunned down

There was heightened security at the event in Washington DC on Saturday. Concealed carry weapons were banned

A protester in Washington DC carries a sign listing the locations of recent US mass shootings including the Las Vegas country music massacre and the Pulse nightclub killing along with the Aurora Batman massacre and several church and high school tragedies

Young children joined the protest in Washington DC to refute the NRA's heavily repeated argument that what is needed are tighter mental health checks instead of changes to what firearms can be bought

Nicole Spriggs and April Amarsh cry at the protest in Washington DC. Their loved one Jamahri Sydnor, 17, was shot to death in 2017

Taurica Haskins is comforted by her husband Alden Haskins Jr at the March for Our Lives protest in Washington DC. Their 17-year-old son Jamahri Sydnor was shot dead in August 2017

A young protester in Washington DC holds up his hands with the words 'don't shoot' written on them on Saturday at the March for Our Lives

Students hold up protest signs in Washington DC at the March on Saturday as part of the March for Our Lives protest

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Emma Gonzalez (left) attend March For Our Live s rally in DC. Miranda was also spotted with Ben Platt

In Parkland, Florida, 35,000 people gathered for a separate protest.

There, survivor Adam Buchwald gave an emotional speech calling for change.

'We cannot and will not be influenced by money and demand the same from our elected officials. We are watching you closely now and now have a voice to influence elections,' he said.

The teenager said he and his friends thought it was 'incomprehensible' when gunman Nikolas Cruz stormed their freshman building on February 14 after 'so many' mass shootings in the past.

On Friday night, the Parkland survivors who had arrived early in DC held an emotional vigil in memory of their murdered classmates.

They included Stoneman Douglas students and other youngsters from different schools around the country who have also been affected by gun violence.

Young victims of gun violence, including students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, stand together on stage at the conclusion of the March for Our Lives rally on Saturday in Washington, DC

Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators, including students, teachers and parents gathered in Washington for the anti-gun March For Our Lives demonstration

PARKLAND, FLORIDA: 35,000 people gathered in Parkland, Florida, the town which kicked off the movement in reaction to its own school shooting on February 14

The protest in Parkland, Florida, on Saturday, the town which kicked off the global movement

NEW YORK CITY: Sir Paul McCartney and his wife Nancy Shevell take part in the march in Manhattan on Saturday. McCartney told a reporter: 'One of my best friends was shot not far from here'. He was of course referring to John Lennon who was gunned down outside The Dakota Building which was within eyeshot of the NYC march on Saturday

NEW YORK CITY: Protesters marched in Manhattan on Saturday morning in one of the 800 'sibling' marches organized

NEW YORK CITY: Protesters wearing white hold up pictures of the victims of the Parkland and Sandy Hook massacres

PITTSBURGH: Frankie Baumer, a junior at Indiana Senior High School in Indiana, Pa., attends a Gun Control Rally in downtown PittsburGH

INDIANA: Lexi Aydt, 17, listens to speakers during the March for Our Lives event at the Four Freedoms Monument in Evansville, Indiana

INDIANA: Students listen to speeches during the March for Our Lives event at Four Freedoms Monument in Evansville, Indiana on Saturday

MARYLAND: At Great Mills High School in Maryland, where a 16-year-old girl was shot to death this week by her ex-boyfriend in a separate school shooting, there was another protest

MARYLAND: A student of Great Mills High School in Maryland held a sign marching in memory of Jaelynn Willey, the 16-year-old victim of a shooting at the school earlier in the week

NORTH DAKOTA: Siblings Brennen Fode, 13, (left) and sister, Reagan, 10, (right) hold signs in a rally in Bismarck, North Dakota

HOUSTON: In Houston, Texas, protesters held another demonstration with signs calling for reform

HOUSTON: A group of women in Houston, Texas, dressed up as characters from The Handmaid's Tale to illustrate the oppression they say gun violence imposes

MIAMI: Protesters in Miami, Florida, decamped in t-shirts to Miami Beach High School to participate in their own march

WEST PALM BEACH: People hold signs during a March For Our Lives in West Palm Beach, Florida on Saturday

WEST PALM BEACH: A gun-rights advocate (left) exchanges heated words with demonstrator Eric Cauley (right) during a rally in West Palm Beach

PHILADELPHIA: Thousands in Philadelphia took to the streets for their own protest on Saturday afternoon

LOS ANGELES: Amy Schumer spoke in Los Angeles in support of the movement. In DC, only students took to the stage in a deliberate effort not to allow celebrities to speak and keep the focus on young people

LOS ANGELES: Amy Schumer was spotted at the Los Angeles rally with Jaden Smith (left) and Charlie Puth (right)

LOS ANGELES: Young protesters in Los Angeles held drawings of the 17 victims of the Parkland shooting at their own protest

LOS ANGELES: 'Grown-ish' actress Yara Shahidi (left) was at the march along with Kendell Jenner and Hailey Baldwin (right)

LOS ANGELES: Actors Laura Dern (left) and Reese Witherspoon (right) participate in the March for Our Lives Los Angeles rally on March 24, 2018 in Los Angeles

SAN FRANCISCO: Morgan Giulianelli holds up a sign while attending a rally before a march against gun violence in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO: Ramon Ramirez wears a sign on his face while attending a rally before a march against gun violence in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO: A woman dressed as Lady Liberty lies on the street during a March For Our Lives rally in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO: Zachary Chakin holds up a sign as crowds of people participate in the March for Our Lives rally in support of gun control, Saturday, March 24, 2018, in San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO: An 11-year-old boy holds up a 'don't shoot' sign during a March For Our Lives rally in San Francisco

SACRAMENTO: Members of the Handmaid Coalition of California hold signs as they march to the California State Capitol during a March For Our Lives rally

PHOENIX: In Arizona, students wore orange to march in Phoenix with a banner bearing the words 'Never Again'

SEATTLE: On the other side of the country, protests were just beginning as they wound down in Washington DC

SEATTLE: Singer Dave Matthews performs at a rally following a march in favor of gun control at the Seattle Center Saturday

SEATTLE: Brandi Carlile (CENTER) performs at Seattle Center for thousands of attendees during the March for Our Lives rally on March 24, 2018 in Seattle, Washington

SEATTLE: 6-year-old Matthew Hale holds up a sign reading: 'I should only have to worry about learning to do math' at the March For Our Lives event in Seattle on Saturday

SEATTLE: Thousands of people gather at Seattle Center to listen to speakers during the March for Our Lives rally

MINNESOTA: Protesters in St Paul, Minnesota, at the state's capitol to protest gun violence and call for reform

ALABAMA: Protesters stormed the Capitol building in Montgomery, Alabama, on Saturday as part of the global protest

AUSTIN: In Austin, Texas, protesters gather outside the state Capitol to stage their own protest

KILLEEN, TEXAS: Young demonstrators participate in a March for Our Lives rally and march on March 24, 2018 in Killeen, Texas

CHICAGO: A sea of people march and carry signs during the Chicago, Illinois March For Our Lives event

CHICAGO: Cold weather at around 39 degrees Fahrenheit didn't stop this protester from making her voice heard on Saturday

PORTLAND: Protesters and students hold up signs as they take part in the March for Our Lives rally on March 24, 2018 in Portland, Oregon

LAS VEGAS: Protesters participate in the March for Our Lives rally at Las Vegas City Hall on March 24, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada

LAS VEGAS: Demonstrators march towards Las Vegas City Hall during the March for Our Lives rally on March 24, 2018 in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS: : Protesters gather at the March for Our Lives rally at Las Vegas City Hall Las Vegas

IDAHO: Protesters gather during the March for Our Lives march at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise

ATLANTA: Us Rep. John Lewis (center) leads a march of thousands through the streets of Atlanta on Saturday

NEW ORLEANS: People take part in the March For Our Lives rally against gun violence in New Orleans, Louisiana

MISSISSIPPI: People participate in a March for Our Lives rally in Jackson, Mississippi Saturday, March 24, 2018

MISSISSIPPI: A woman holds a sign during a rally in Jackson, Mississippi as Mileena Slade (right), a student at Hinds Community College, holds a poster on which she wrote the names of people killed in mass shootings

WISCONSIN: Zoe Thompson, center, a 17-year-old Junior from Edgerton High School holds a sign during a rally in Madison, Wisconsin

ST LOUIS: Protesters march and hold up their signs during a March for Our Lives rally in St. Louis on Saturday, March 24, 2018

DENVER: (L-R) Simone Kirkevold, 14, of Longmont, Colorado, Lexi Ames, 17, of Denver, and Laura Mendoza, of Denver, 17, shout 'This is what democracy looks like!' during the March for Our Lives rally on March 24, 2018 in Denver, Colorado

COLUMBUS: A youth group with Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio wait for speeches to start in Columbus, Ohio

ROCHESTER, NY: Teaghan Aroneseno, 16, hugs Walela Garland-Standing, 17, after the March for Our Lives Rally IN Rochester, New York

Stars have all commended the Stoneman Douglas students for harnessing the debate on gun control and taking action.

Others, including President Trump's friend, Patriots owner Bob Kraft, lent their support in other ways.

Kraft gave the teenagers from Parkland his football team's private plane to shuttle them to DC on Friday. Delta also donated two of its aircraft to fly protesters to the city from Florida.

Jimmy Fallon partnered with MTV and the NAACP to 'sponsor a bus full of smart young young people' traveling from New York to Washington, DC to take part in the flagship demonstration.

As protesters prepared to march on Friday, President Trump announced that the Department of Justice would issue a 'rule' banning bump stocks - the firearm accessory which can turn semi-automatic guns into weapons that function more like automatic firearms.

'Obama Administration legalized bump stocks. BAD IDEA. As I promised, today the Department of Justice will issue the rule banning BUMP STOCKS with a mandated comment period.

'We will BAN all devices that turn legal weapons into illegal machine guns,' he said.

On February 14, gunman Nikolas Cruz did not use a bump stock to kill 14 students and three teachers.

The most infamous use of the accessory was by Stephen Paddock, the Las Vegas gunman who murdered 58 people by spraying bullets into a crowd at a country music festival in October. He later shot himself.

TORONTO: Protesters in Canada on Saturday as they joined in the protest across the border

LONDON: A group of protesters lie down outside the US Embassy in London as part of their demonstration

PARIS: Protesters gather near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, on Saturday March 24 as part of the global coordinated protest

SWITZERLAND:Crowds gathered outside the UN in Geneva to compel them to intervene in the issue in Switzerland

SCOTLAND: In Edinburgh, protesters gathered outside the US Consulate to demand gun reform in the US

'Exhausted' shooting survivor David Hogg, 17, complains that his parents don't know how to use a 'f***** democracy' David Hogg, 17, on Good Morning America on Saturday where he heralded the march as 'the start of a revolution' Shooting survivor David Hogg, who has been at the forefront of advocacy for tighter gun laws since 17 of his classmates and teachers were murdered on February 14, gave a foul-mouthed interview on Friday on the issue. Speaking to The Outline, Hogg, 17, tried to explain why his generation felt they had to take things into their own hands to effect change. ''When your old-a** parent is like "I don’t know how to send an iMessage" and you’re just like, "Give me the f***ing phone and let me handle it," Sadly, that’s what we have to do with our government. 'Our parents don’t know how to use a f***ing democracy, so we have to.' Since February 15, the day after the shooting, Hogg has been dogged in his participation in media interviews. He became such a regular fixture on CNN that right-wing trolls wrongly labeled him a 'crisis actor' who had been pushed forward to peddle a Democratic agenda on television. All of the talking and organizing of events has left him 'beyond exhausted' he said. 'I’m beyond exhausted. I get to a certain point where I just get so tired that I keep going. It creates a positive feedback loop in some ways — the more stress and work I put on me, the more stress and work I can deal with,' he said. He also complained about some of the changes being made to prevent more shootings, namely the clear backpacks students at his school are now being asked to wear. Hogg says it violates their 'First Amendment Rights' and is 'embarrassing'. 'It’s unnecessary, it’s embarrassing for a lot of the students and it makes them feel isolated and separated from the rest of American school culture where they’re having essentially their First Amendment rights infringed upon because they can’t freely wear whatever backpack they want regardless of what it is. Hogg said he was 'beyond exhausted' but that he could cope with the 'stress' of organizing the march and advocating for gun reform 'It has to be a clear backpack. What we should have is just more policies that make sure that these students are feeling safe and secure in their schools and not like they’re being fought against like it’s a prison.' 'One of the other important things to realize is many students want their privacy,' he added. 'There are many, for example, females in our school that when they go through their menstrual cycle, they don’t want people to see their tampons and stuff.' He also took a swipe at the NRA, calling them 'sick f******' and condemned Senator Marco Rubio and Governor Rick Scott for accepting their donations. 'It just makes me think, "What sick f**ers out there want to continue to sell more guns, murder more children, and honestly just get reelected?"' He added: 'What type of s**** person does that? They could have blood from children splattered all over their faces and they wouldn’t take action, because they all still see these dollar signs.' Advertisement