The Laguna Beach March For Our Lives in Photos
Along with the main March For Our Lives in Washington D. C., Laguna Beach residents had a large turn out of students, parents, and grandparents at the protest at Main Beach on March 24, 2018. This protest, there was no music or speeches, but everyone expressed their opinions with their creative, hand made signs. The demonstrators lined the coast highway holding their signs, and drivers honked and showed their sympathy with the protestors. By not having music or speeches, the kids, their families, and their signs became the main focus of the rally.
I had self assigned myself to take pictures of the signs and demonstrators. What I did not realize is how many people turned out. I also did not anticipate how clever and touching the signs will be. The fact that many were carried by kids of 12-K brought home the message of how important this was to them. Students all over the country practice for armed intrusion drills, and schools have been evacuated for bomb threats.
When I was a student, we used to duck under our desks for atom bomb drills. I still remember those. Now, however, there are a set of continuing armed shooter incidents. Something like 25% of students actually fear that such incidents could befall their own classrooms. While each such incident is a tragedy, they are dispersed enough that most students will not be directly affected, other than through the news and drills.
I tried to photograph most of the signs, and ended up with 200 pictures of interesting signs and participants, and also beach activities and dogs. The photos are on my Dennis Silverman Flickr account, in the album Laguna Beach March For Our Lives.
Picturing the signs and participants, I feel like I have done mini-interviews with most of the demonstrators, about their most relevant opinions and cares.
