Marco Rubio tells March for Our Lives crowd many oppose gun bans

William Cummings | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Teen voices stand tall during the March for Our Lives Protesters explain why they’ve had #enough and give their thoughts on gun control during the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., March 24, 2018.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who has been criticized by many survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, told people who attended Saturday's rallies that he respects their views but does not "agree with all of the solutions they propose."

"I commend those who today are peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights to march in favor of a gun ban," Rubio said in a statement about the March for Our Lives protests across the nation.

"While I do not agree with all of the solutions they propose, I respect their views and recognize that many Americans support certain gun bans. However, many other Americans do not support a gun ban. They too want to prevent mass shootings, but view banning guns as an infringement on the Second Amendment rights of law abiding citizens that ultimately will not prevent these tragedies," he said.

Rubio went on to caution people marching for gun control that while "protests are a legitimate way of making a point, in our system of government, making a change requires finding common ground with those who hold opposing views."

My full statement on today's marches: pic.twitter.com/ZpRNotSbyP — Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 24, 2018

The senator mentioned recent actions to address mass shootings such as the proposed bump stock ban and the STOP School Violence Act that provides $50 million a year to improve school safety measures.

Rubio added that "finding common ground is what it will take to pass our red flag law so we can take guns away from dangerous people."

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Rubio has frequently been derided by the Parkland students who have become gun control activists.

Watch the 'March for Our Lives' fill Pennsylvania Avenue in 30 seconds Protestors make their way onto Pennsylvania Avenue for the "March for Our Lives" in this time-lapse video.

On Saturday, students wore orange $1.05 price tags — the amount Rubio has received from the gun lobby divided by the number of students in Florida — to suggest that's how much their lives were worth to him.

Rubio was savaged during a Feb. 21 CNN town hall where students demanded Rubio refuse to accept future contributions from the gun lobby. Rubio, who declined to meet that demand, was called "pathetically weak" by the father of one girl who was murdered in the shooting.