In the wake of the mass shooting in San Bernardino and heightened attention on the need for our nation’s leaders to act to end gun violence, the California chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, will join together this Saturday in Los Angeles for an Orange Walk to #EndGunViolence to commemorate the third anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy and to honor all survivors and victims of gun violence. During the walks, participants will share photos and post on social media using the hashtag #EndGunViolence.
Orange is a color that has been embraced by the gun violence prevention movement as a symbol of the value of human life and our shared commitment to do everything we can to reduce gun violence in our country. Orange Walks serve as a reminder that the best way to honor gun violence victims is to keep moving forward, keep making progress and to never give up.
Just this week, to highlight the progress in the gun violence prevention movement, Everytown for Gun Safety released the “Year in Review” memo alongside the powerful “We Can End Gun Violence” video that highlights the ways we are bringing together Americans– from moms, gun violence survivors and cultural icons–to put an end to the 88 lives that are taken by gun violence everyday, along with hundreds of others who are injured.
Orange Walks are events at which moms, dads, survivors, mayors, faith leaders and other community members gather together to demonstrate our shared commitment to reducing gun violence. The walks represent the significant strides that the gun violence prevention movement has achieved, while also acknowledging the work that has yet to be done. As we walk together, we prove to the gun lobby and to elected officials that we will be loud, we will be visible and we will never stop fighting to keep our families, our communities and our country safe.
The idea of “Orange” was inspired by Nza-Ari Khepra, who, as a high school student in Chicago, encouraged her friends to wear orange in honor of classmate Hadiya Pendleton who was shot and killed just one week after performing in President Obama’s second inauguration. The color has significance for hunters who wear orange to warn other hunters not to shoot. This past June, a coalition of gun violence prevention advocates launched the Wear Orange campaign to mark the first annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
About Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a grassroots movement of American mothers fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and protect people from gun violence. Moms Demand Action campaigns for new and stronger solutions to lax gun laws and loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our children and families. Since its inception after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state of the country and, along with Mayors Against Illegal Guns and the Everytown Survivor Network, it is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with more than three million members and more than 75,000 donors. For more information or to get involved visit www.momsdemandaction.org. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
About the Everytown Survivor Network
The Everytown Survivor Network brings together Americans who have been personally affected by gun violence to work together to fight for solutions to prevent the gun violence that kills 88 Americans and injures hundreds more every day. The Survivor Network connects people who have been shot and loved ones of those who have been shot or killed to build community and empower survivors to become advocates and leaders in the gun violence prevention movement. The Survivor Network, along with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and Mayors Against Illegal Guns, is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with more than three million members and more than 75,000 donors. To learn more about Everytown’s work with survivors or to join the Survivor Network, please visit
The Los Angeles Orange Walk to #EndGunViolence to commemorate the third anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy and to honor all survivors and victims of gun violence.
WHO:
- Yvette Martinez, Deputy State Director for Senator Barbara Boxer
- Bob Weiss, the father of Isla Vista shooting victim, Veronika Weiss, and a member of the Everytown Survivor Network
- Caitlin King, Volunteer California Chapter Leader of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
WHEN: Saturday, December 11, 10AM – Noon
WHERE: Walk begins at Edward Roybal Federal Building
E. Temple St. at Judge John Aiso St
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Walk ends at City Hall Park Center
200 N. Main St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
