The Voice of Westmoreland hosted one of the hundreds of registered March for Our Lives demonstrations taking place this weekend throughout the country. Students, parents, teachers and community members gathered outside of the Westmoreland County Courthouse on Friday to demonstrate common sense gun laws among other concerns in light of mass shootings in America, particularly in schools.
“I want you to image 17 students at your school that are suddenly gone,” said Meg Jones, from Hempfield Area High School, speaking to the crowd at the march. “It is time to wake up, it is time for never again.”
Jones, 17, is referring to the 17 students who were murdered on Feb. 14 after a 19-year-old former student opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The march in Greensburg came one day before the hundreds of planned demonstrations that took place in Washington D.C. and across the country, including one in Pittsburgh.
“It was going to be difficult to get buses to Pittsburgh or Washington, so we thought ‘why not just have a small one here,'” said Emma Skidmore, a junior at Greensburg Salem High School who organized the event with The Voice of Westmoreland. “We just wanted to show our community that we stand with the victims and survivors of school shootings. We want to promote safer communities and schools.”
“When children are acting like leaders and leaders are acting like children, you know change is coming,” said Jon McCabe, a senior at Penn State New Kensington, during his speech at the march on Friday. “This is just the beginning.”
Photos by Calli Arida, Setonian Assistant Editor
Susan Schultz and Joan Leuthner from Ligonier, Pa. sign a pledge of support at the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
Rally participants in Greensburg could add their signatures to signs like the one above, which supported universal background checks, no guns in classrooms and students using their voices.
Nancy Dunn from Jeannette, Pa. makes a sign at the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
Participants gather as they listen to speakers at the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
Meg Jones, 17, from Hempfield Area High School, speaks at the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
Jon McCabe, 21, from Penn State New Kensington, speaks at the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
Along with speakers, there were also musicians at the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
From left to right: Greensburg Salem High School juniors Sierra Flanders, Mackenzie Crabtree and Grant Hoffer hold signs at the March for Our Lives rally on March 23 in front of the Westmoreland County Courthouse.
Participants in Greensburg’s March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg stand in front of the Westmoreland County Courthouse.
Students from Greater Latrobe Senior High School hold their signs during the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
A demonstrator speaks through a megaphone during the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
Students from Seton Hill University stand with students from Greensburg Salem High School at the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
Demonstrators hold signs at the March for Our Lives rally on March 23 in front of the Westmoreland County Courthouse.
The March for Our Lives rally was held March 23 outside the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Greensburg.
Demonstrators hold signs during the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
From left to right: Greensburg Salem High School senior Katelyn Dicriscio, GS junior Emma Skidmore, Seton Hill University freshman Kayleigh Ventrone and GS senior Jeremy Mauser pose for a photo with their signs at the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
A demonstrator hoists her sign during the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
Greensburg Salem High School junior Molly Krunszyinsky holds a sign in front of the Westmoreland County Courthouse during the March for Our Lives rally on March 23.
A demonstrator hoists her sign during the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
Students from Greensburg Salem High School hoist their signs on March 23 during Greensburg’s March for Our Lives rally.
From left to right: Greensburg Salem High School junior Molly Krunszyinsky, GS sophomore Thomas Barnette-Contreras and Penn State New Kensington senior Jon McCabe hold their signs during the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
From left to right: Casey, Cindy and Carol Hamilton pose with their signs at the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
Rev. Wayne Sautter and Ellen Sautter of Latrobe, Pa. hold their sign at the March for Our Lives rally in Greensburg on March 23.
From left to right: Jane and Gary Armbrest from Vandergrift, Pa. and Brian Susco from Salix, Pa. hold their signs at Greensburg’s March for Our Lives rally on March 23.
