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Gun Control Advocates Rally At Capitol, But General Assembly Quickly Adjourns

Hadley Chittum | July 12, 2019

Topics: Black Top Basketball, Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence, General Assembly, gun violence, March For Our Lives, Moms Demand Action, protest, Ralph Northam, special session

The crowd of protesters outside Virginia’s Capitol numbered in the hundreds, but the Republican-controlled General Assembly did nothing to appease them.

Chants echoed off the buildings in front of Virginia’s State Capitol as protesters rallied for stricter gun control laws Tuesday morning. 

Hundreds of protesters representing various organizations came from across the state and up and down the east coast to participate. 

The protest was scheduled around the General Assembly’s special session, where Democrats proposed a slate of bills to address gun violence in Virginia. The session had been called by Governor Ralph Northam after a mass shooting in Virginia Beach on May 31 left 12 people dead.

National organizations like Moms Demand Action, March For Our Lives, and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence brought large crowds and led most of the chants. 

“Today is an opportunity to end an epidemic that has claimed 10,000 lives in Virginia since [the Virginia Tech mass shooting in 2007],” said Kim Brown, President of Brady, and a native Virginian. The organization came down from their office in Washington, DC to rally for the historic vote.

Smaller organizations like Black Top Basketball, a non-profit youth basketball organization from Portsmouth, also came to demonstrate. Carlton Copeland, founder of the organization, brought players along with him, and was accompanied by Dr. Julius Hayes, who advocates for stricter gun laws in the Hampton Roads area.

“We’re out here to stop the shootings,” said DaMon Maio, a 14-year-old Black Top player. 

Carlton Copeland, founder of Black Top Basketball, stands with one of his players behind a sign that reads “NRA: Going out of business.” (Photo by Hadley Chittum)

Opponents of gun control legislation were present in smaller numbers, and quietly waited outside the capitol after lobbying.

Tammy Lee and the group she came with travelled from states like Pennsylvania, Maryland, and South Carolina to lobby and rally on behalf of what she called “the American patriots.”

Ultimately, the special session ended after 90 minutes, when Republicans in both chambers decided to postpone a vote on legislation until November. Governor Northam released a statement condemning the quick adjournment.

“I expected lawmakers to take this seriously. I expected them to do what their constituents elected them to do — discuss issues and take votes,” Northam stated. “It is shameful and disappointing that Republicans in the General Assembly refuse to do their jobs, and take immediate action to save lives.”

A woman shouts at a counter-protester. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
Women representing Moms Demand Action from Loudon County travelled to Richmond to rally. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
Richard “Dickie” Bell, a republican delegate from Staunton and Waynesboro, enters the capitol before the special session. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
Players from Black Top Basketball, an organization from Portsmouth, protest in front of the capitol. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
Protesters brought signs calling for the banning of specific types of guns. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
Counter-protesters sit under a tree. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
Delegate Chris Hurst, a Democrat representing Blacksburg, shouts into a megaphone. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
A protester with Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence leads a chant. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
The Boys and Girls Club of Richmond City enter the Virginia State Capitol building to sit in on the General Assembly’s Special Session. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
A man opposing gun regulations speaks to a facebook live video while a protester shouts behind him. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
Women representing Moms Demand Action rest in the shade during the rally. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy, a Democrat from Woodbridge, hugs a supporter before the special session. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
Protesters of all ages and backgrounds came to advocate for stricter gun laws in Virginia. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
Lobbyists advocating against legal restrictions on guns walk up a hill to the front of the state capitol. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
A lobbyist opposing gun legislation stands and watches the rally. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)
Some representatives from Moms Demand Action brought their children to the rally. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)

Top: The rally took place on the corner of 9th and Bank Streets. Protestors were restricted to the sidewalks and grass. (Photo by Hadley Chittum)

Congressman Dave Brat Skips Gun Violence Town Hall, Disappoints Students

David Streever | April 10, 2018

Topics: abigail spanberger, dan ward, Dave Brat, gun control, March For Our Lives, Parkland Students, schuyler vanvalkenburg, Town halls

On what’s normally a vacation week, four local high school students were hard at work organizing Town Hall for our Lives meetings around the area. The meetings, inspired by the Parkland student movement, are opportunities for students to talk to their elected officials about gun control and gun violence.

Chaz Nuttycombe, a senior at Hanover High School, put together the most recent event this past Saturday at Libbie Mill Library in Henrico, part of Congressman Dave Brat’s 7th Congressional District. He invited Brat, but the congressman declined to attend via an email sent to one of Nuttycombe’s co-organizers. “It looked like a form email,” he said, describing the email as one that characterized past town halls as rude and disrespectful.

“I was willing to work with him to make sure it would be a civil event,” Nuttycombe said. He even went to Brat’s D.C. office to invite him in person, an experience he described as disappointing. “I went to his office, I was polite. His staff was friendly, but it was clear from the looks on their faces that he wouldn’t attend.”

A seat was saved for Brat between challengers Spanberger, Ward

After Brat declined, Nuttycombe invited the Democratic challengers, former CIA operative Abigail Spanberger and 25-year Marine veteran Dan Ward. “That’s the etiquette. You invite your representative and if they decline you invite the competition,” he said. Both accepted his invitation, joining the 80 or so people in attendance.

Ward described the focus on school safety and gun control as central to his campaign. “We were the first to back the assault weapon ban,” he said. Ward said he’s running to address shortcomings in political leadership, adding,“We’ve abdicated our responsibility as the government to the NRA, and it’s been disastrous.”

He characterized Brat’s tenure in office as symptomatic of what he called a bigger problem; representatives who worry more about re-election than about serving constituents. “Everyone is taking the political temperature on issues that are clearly right or wrong, and we need people of courage to take the moral positions,” he said.

Reached by phone, Spanberger was full of praise for the students, and said it was an easy decision to attend their town hall. “Absolutely. It’s incredible how engaged and involved these local students are, I’m happy to be part of anything they are putting together.” She described the students as polite, mature, and “impressively well-organized.”

Both of the candidates thought Brat should have been in attendance, and pointed to what Ward called a pattern of not showing up. “That’s who he is. It’s his biggest problem, that he doesn’t come out and talk to his constituents.”

Spanberger said the problem was bigger than this meeting, but thought the absence was especially notable. “Of all the events that he hasn’t attended and all of the times he hasn’t made himself available, I think this one was particularly disappointing,” she said, noting that Brat hasn’t held a town hall since last spring.

While school safety was the focus, Nuttycombe also asked the candidates to sign a pledge to hold at least four town hall meetings a year. Both signed.

“We’ve done 79 meet and greets in the last nine months. Four town halls sounds easy,” Spanberger said about the request, before adding in a more sober tone, “I think it’s only fair to make sure that we’re accessible to every county in the district.”

Also in attendance was Del. Schuyler VanValkenburg, a high school teacher first elected to represent the 72nd district this past November. “I think it’s important to show them support, and I agree with their cause,” he said about attending the meeting.

He said the meeting was important, but stressed that elected officials need to also work to address the more common incidents of gun violence across the nation instead of just the tragic outliers.

“My fear is that we get too narrow, we start talking about bulletproof glass and arming teachers,” he said, “but we should be looking at the front-end and asking how we can make our communities healthier and safer.”

Like Spanberger and Ward, VanValkenburg found the student work encouraging. “We’re already seeing a shift in the dialogue and the narrative, and the organizers should feel optimistic and motivated,” he said, adding, “But it is early days, people have to keep that momentum up.”

Asked to weigh-in on Brat’s absence, he described it as a missed opportunity for the congressman to hear from his constituents, adding, “Sometimes [town halls] can be unruly or unfriendly terrain, but as he noted when he ran against Eric Cantor, that’s part of your responsibility.”

RVA Mag tried to reach the congressman to ask him about his absence. As with the last time we reached out to his office, we received no answers to our specific questions, however, his communications director Mitchell Hailstone only provided what he called ‘background’ on Brat. The short response described him as a loving father who is concerned about school violence, and noted that he held “a roundtable discussion with school security officers, mental health experts, superintendents of schools, law enforcement officials and school board members,” which he noted was not covered in RVA Mag but in the Culpeper Star Exponent.

According to that newspaper, Brat proposed no specific legislation to address trauma, but was in favor of placing professional security at the front doors of schools and addressing mental health issues through a “holistic approach.”

Nuttycombe wasn’t surprised by Brat’s absence at the student-run event, he said, noting that he wrote two speeches; one for if Brat attended, and one for if he didn’t. He described the absence as proof that the congressman is out of touch with voters, saying, “He’s still voting like the tea party insurgent he ran as when he beat Cantor, and he hasn’t realized that the district has become more moderate. His constituents want sensible regulations on gun ownership, not someone who takes big donations from the NRA.”

Despite the lack of support from the district congressman, Nuttycombe is moving forward with his work. His next step is a town hall with Rep. Donald McEachin and Sen. Tim Kaine on Apr 21 at the Adult Alternative Program, an ex-offender re-entry program in Richmond, and a major rally the day before on Brown’s Island connected to the national walkout starting at 12 AM.

The rally will take place at noon with music, speeches, and a march to the State Capitol where Gov. Ralph Northam will speak following student leaders speeches from the steps of the state building.

Teen Plans “March for Our Guns” Rally in Virginia Beach

RVA Staff | April 5, 2018

Topics: Debate, gun control, March For Our Lives, Parkland Shooting, Pro-Gun Rally, rally, Virginia Beach

A teenager is planning an upcoming “March for Our Guns” rally at Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach this month. In an interview with Wavy TV 10 in VB, 15-year-old Aiden Jackson said he was interested in planning the rally after seeing the publicity “March for our Lives” generated nationally. Jackson, a freshman at Ocean Lakes High School, in an on-air interview, said, “When I saw the “March for Our Lives,” I saw a lot of people for gun control. Not every youth believes that. Gun control is not the answer.”

The issue of gun control in the wake of the Parkland Shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which left 17 people dead and an equal number wounded, has re-ignited the national debate. Led by the student survivors, the issue has gained national prominence through a series of high profile media appearances all of which culminated in the March for Our Lives rally on March 24 that brought close to a million people to Washington DC.

According to Jackson, one of the reasons he is planning the rally is the fact that “not every youth believes gun control is the answer.” While he did participate in the student-led walkouts in March, he carried a sign with a vastly different message stating that gun control was not the answer. Jackson also said that during the walk-out, another student tore his sign apart. “Someone came up out of the blue, looked at me, read my sign, and ripped my sign, and then the entire school applauded.”

Nonetheless, the VB teen said he was encouraged and received positive feedback from his classmates who thought he was brave to share his contrarian opinion during the walk-out supporting stricter gun control. Jackson, struck a conciliatory tone in his interview inviting people from all sides of the debate to his rally, saying, “I want to invite all the viewers to come along and show your support and really view a different point of the aisle if you are in support of gun control.

Photos: March for Our Lives in Richmond and Washington DC

RVA Staff | March 25, 2018

Topics: gun control, gun reform, March For Our Lives, Parkland, richmond, RVA, Student Survivors, Washington DC

This past Saturday, youth led marches to demand an end to gun violence in all 50 states. RVA Mag had teams in Washington D.C. for the national event, and another at home in the River City, where students from local high schools led more than 1,500 from Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School over the Leigh Street Bridge to the steps of the Virginia State Capitol. Youth from the Armstrong Leadership Program kicked off the Richmond event and shared the stage with invited speakers like Superintendent Jason Kamras, Mayor Levar Stoney, and Sen. Tim Kaine.

Up in Washington D.C., over 500,000 gathered for a rally on Pennsylvania Avenue, blocks from the Capitol, to represent the national movement and urge lawmakers to pass legislation banning both the sales of weapons used in mass shootings along with high-capacity magazines, and to close loopholes in America’s background check system.

Some of the best photos of the day can be found below:

Signs in D.C. Photo by Shroder

“How Many Tears,” asks a sign on Leigh St. Photo by Streever

Marching down Broad St. Photo by Streever

Tim Kaine and Anne Holton with Levar Stoney at MLK Middle School. Photo by Streever

Future leaders in Virginia. Photo by Streever

More signs in Richmond. Photo by Streever

Sign in D.C. Photo by Shroder

Peace, not guns in D.C. Photo by Shroder

Fuck the NRA in D.C. Photo by Shroder

D.C. rally. Photo by Shroder

The crowd in D.C. Photo by Shroder

Photos By: Landon Shroder and David Streever

 

RVA Mag First Look: March For Our Lives in Washington DC

Samantha Rinchetti | March 24, 2018

Topics: activism, gun control, gun violence, March For Our Lives, Parkland, School Shootings

Over 500,000 people braved the crowds in Washington DC today to attend the March for Our Lives rally planned by student survivors of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida on February 14. The shooting, which left 17 of their classmates dead, has promoted student activists like Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg to national prominence as leaders of the Never Again and Enough is Enough movements.

The rally today, five weeks after the shooting in Parkland, was organized chaos of the best kind. People from all over the nation flooded the streets, holding signs, chanting, and listening to the stories of survivors of gun violence. Tension mounted throughout the tragic stories until the first Parkland survivor took the stage. “If you think today is good just wait for tomorrow — the future looks very bright,” Cameron Kasky said to a transfixed audience.

Parkland Student Survivor, Cameron Kasky

Not long after, a hush fell over the crowd as a video of the harrowing news reporting from February 14 was played for the crowd. After Kasky spoke, the rapper Common came out and performed a song for the audience. While there was a celebrity contingent in attendance, including Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, and others, one of the speakers was quick to remind the crowd that this was “not Coachella”.

A group of students who had travelled from Miami spoke to RVA Mag. Among them was 18-year-old Alice Roayer, who said, “People like me and people my age are being killed and injured and I feel that’s not right.” She continue, “…the march here today is going to bring awareness to how angry we are. We need to make a change and this is just one step towards it.” Roayer also commented on how it was important for people of color to be represented at the rally, reflecting criticism by rally organizer David Hogg who recently said , “The media’s biggest mistake while covering the shooting was not giving black survivors a prominent voice.”

Another student in Roayer’s group, Trey Burrows, said he came out for representation. “I think it’s important to march here today to clarify that when we say ‘march for our lives’, okay, well whose lives are we marching for,” said Burrow. He told RVA Mag that in his community gun violence is a daily occurrence, saying, “In 2016, 255 kids died from gun violence, yet I did not hear a story about that, I didn’t hear media coverage about that. My community is crying out, we need help.”

The speakers at the rally were diverse and not limited to the student survivors from Parkland. Survivors of gun violence from Sandy Hook, Columbine, and Chicago were also on stage, providing an inclusive environment that focused on more than just white victims of gun violence. D’angelo McDade, a speaker representing young people from Chicago, spoke to the crowd about the everyday problem of gun violence in his community, “Shootings are an everyday problem. I am here to speak on behalf of everyone who’s been shot and killed.”

Registering voters also played a critical role in the rally today with volunteers swarming the streets and metro stations encouraging people to “vote them out” in the upcoming midterm elections. Peninsula Voices for Change (PVC), a Hampton Roads non-profit traveled via bus with members, allies, and affiliates to show support, not only for the victims of gun violence, but to raise awareness.

Children Victims of the Sandy Hook Shooting

Their director and founder, Cassie DeSena-Jacobs, spoke with RVA Mag about their organization and why they traveled to participate in the rally. “I think that in the last 14 months there have been so many explicit things for PVC to get involved with, but this feels like a no-brainer,” said DeSena-Jacobs. “Registering to vote and attending elections is what’s going to bring change. But, having massive numbers attend marches is what’s going to make us feel hope right now.”

While there were many intersections present at the rally, there was an admirable presence at the event different from the other massive demonstrations since November 2016: Young people. They are who will be voting for the next generation of lawmakers and having current lawmakers see the vast numbers of people who came out today has the ability to directly affect policy.

Students from all over the US in Attendance

Two women aged 20 and 22 who attended the rally from Maryland spoke to RVA Mag, choosing to give only their first names. “Someone has to stand up. I’m glad there’s a lot of us here today,” Hannah said. “Change doesn’t happen without the people.” Her friend Samantha echoed the sentiment, urging all young people to get involved. “You can sit at home and do nothing or you can actually make a change,” she said. “The government needs to understand how much this matters to the people.”

As the event winded down the overall atmosphere was somber but optimistic, with people vowing to fight for awareness and change. One of the speakers towards the end summed up the spirit of the young people advocating for the change needed to end the epidemic of gun violence throughout the US. Yolanda King, granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr, paraphrasing her famous grandfather, said, “I have a dream. That enough is enough.”

*Photos by Landon Shroder

Women’s March Organizes National School Walkout Campaign Against Gun Violence

Amy David | February 19, 2018

Topics: Enough! National School Walkout, Florida school shootings, gun control, gun violence, March For Our Lives, School Shootings, Women's March, Women’s March Youth EMPOWER

Eight school shootings and 29 mass casualty attacks have occurred in 2018 alone, with the latest tragedy at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, leaving 17 teachers and kids dead and another 15 injured. Fed up with Congress’ lack of action on gun control legislation and fearful for their children and students; teachers, parents, and communities around the country are demanding their voices be heard with a campaign to walk out of schools on March 14.

Women’s March Youth EMPOWER, a sub-group of the Women’s March organization, is calling for teachers, students, school administrators, and allies to take part in their country-wide #NationalSchoolWalkout campaign at 10 am across every time zone to send Congress a message on gun violence that children and students need more than “thoughts and prayers.” We need Congress to take action to pass gun reform.

“Students and allies are organizing the national school walkout to demand Congress pass legislation to keep us safe from gun violence at our schools, on our streets and in our homes and places of worship,” reads the group’s page. “Students and staff have the right to teach and learn in an environment free from the worry of being gunned down in their classrooms or on their way home from school. Parents have the right to send their kids to school in the mornings and see them home alive at the end of the day.”

The walkout will last for 17 minutes, one for each victim who lost their lives in the Broward County, Florida school shooting. The Women’s March school-out movement has grown to include dozens of elementary schools, high schools, and colleges and universities across the nation who will take to the streets.

Kim Russell, Executive Adviser of Women’s March, is encouraging those who participate in walking out of class or just coming out in support of children and students, to wear orange in solidarity and support of victims of gun violence.

“Thoughts and prayers are not enough,” Russell said in an interview with the All The Moms publication. “The school shootings just keep happening and happening. There’s no escaping it. Congress needs to hear from us.”

By press time Monday morning, over 26,000 people said they were participating in the National School Walkout on the Women’s March event page another 97,000 are interested.

A little closer to home, children, and families of March For Our Lives will take to the streets of Washington, DC to protest gun violence on March 24. The group was organized by students across the country to demand politicians in Congress make their lives and safety a priority.

The Richmond chapter of Women’s March is also willing to help facilitate the walkout by working with other students and organization that are demanding protection for children, teachers, and communities.

“We’re ready to play our role! WMRVA plans to meet with local groups who specialize in this work to lay the groundwork,” said Alysia CW, an organizer of the local chapter. “Gun violence affects everyone. It doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t look at race, class, gender, age, religion or anything else. It does affect some groups more than others, but there’s still one solution for all. We need common sense gun control across this nation. We can’t afford to lose one more life when we have the power to prevent it. No more choosing not to.”

Click here to add your event to the map of the walkout event or find one near you.

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