March for Our Lives rally held in Salem

SALEM, Ore. (KPTV) – Demonstrators came out and marched at the Capitol Building in Salem demanding action on gun control.

“We need to change. We need background checks, we need to raise the age to purchase a gun, we need licenses to own a gun and we need to ban assault rifles,” Paisley Torres, the organizer of the march, said.

Torres said that recent events like the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, are what motivated her to organize this rally.

“Just seeing all the shootings that have been happening, especially being a public schooler during this fear, having to go through lockdowns and knowing children younger than my youngest sibling were getting their lives taken away just trying to get an education,” Torres said.

She said she’s pleased with how many people showed up.

“I’m really proud of it. I didn’t expect to have this many people, and I’m really glad people are showing up for a change,” she said.

Torres said she hopes those in power hear their message loud and clear.

“America is the only country that has this rate of gun violence especially when firearm deaths have overtaken car crashes when it comes to children and teens, and so that is a strictly American issue.”

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