FREEHOLD – An estimated 650 people attended the March For Our Lives rally to end gun violence at Raintree Plaza in Freehold on March 24, according to the organizers.
“From the beginning we reached out to politicians from both sides of the aisle to coordinate this event and make them aware of our petition for universal background checks and an assault weapons ban that now has over 815 signatures,” a press release from the organization read.
Earlier that morning, several members of the group met with Congressman Chris Smith (R-4th) at his office for about an hour and a half.
“We wanted to reach out and show how teenagers can be the proponents of respectful civic activism that brings about reasonable debate and discussion,” the statement read.
Smith released the following statement after the march: “Although the spending bill that the House passed this week included positive steps for school safety – like funding to strengthen our national gun background check system and for prevention measures at schools like properly trained security personnel – more must be done to protect our students.
“I have long supported common-sense gun legislation such as ending the gun show/private sale loophole and a ban on assault weapons, and I will continue supporting such measures in the name of public safety.
“What happened in Parkland must never happen again—there is no higher priority for us right now than school safety.”
