A student-organized town hall on gun violence brought out a crowd of more than 100 people to the Champaign Public Library Thursday. The event was hosted by students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and five area high schools.
Abby Weber urged the crowd to contact their lawmakers to pass stricter gun control measures at the state and local level. The U of I freshman says a single law won’t curb gun violence. She says it will take a bigger effort, and students won’t give up on the cause.
“We will continue marching in Illinois until gun violence is no longer part of our backyards, no longer part of our schools and no longer part of our lives.” Weber says.
The event was organized after survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida called for nationwide town halls on gun violence.
Democratic candidate for Congress Betsy Dirksen Londrigan spoke at the event. 13th District Incumbent Republican Rodney Davis did not attend.