'There has to be change': Thousands march at Arizona Capitol to protest gun violence

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Kelley Fisher says she is ready to put herself between an active shooter and her Kindergarten students. 

"I cannot imagine what would happen if one of our active shooter drills were really an active shooter on our campus," said Fisher. "My teammates and I have talked about what we'd do and how we'd protect our students but the sad thing is, we do have to think about that and we shouldn't."

Kelley was one of thousands of local demonstrators gathered at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix on Saturday evening to protest gun violence in the United States. Organizers estimated that participants for the event totaled between 3,000 and 5,000. Across the country, there were more than 400 March For Our Lives events that took place.

The last March For Our Lives was held in 2018, following a mass shooting by a teenage gunman who killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14, 2018.

Similarly, Saturday's march was organized in response to a mass shooting by a teenage gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24 that killed 19 students and two teachers.

'There has to be change' 

"We just want to send a message to legislators and to Congress when they see these marches across the country, that we're going to continue to go out and do these marches and hold demonstrations until they take some sort of action," said Jacob Martinez, lead organizer at March For Our Lives in Phoenix.

The rally began at 5:30 p.m. with a reading of the names of the 19 students and two teachers killed in Ulvade, Texas, accompanied by a moment of silence, with temperatures reaching 112 degrees. 

"There has to be a change," said Ray Shelley, a retired United States Marine. "I own guns and am a firm believer in the right to bear arms but we need background checks, people need to be 21 before they have them. There has to be some sort of training put in place."

Guest speakers at the march included Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman, state Rep. Jennifer Longdon, activist Belen Sisa, Arizona Education Association Vice President Marisol Garcia and José Guzmán with Padres y Parientes de Victimas de Crimen, whose son was killed due to gun violence.

Guzmán said that in addition to anti-gun activism, Padres y Parientes de Victimas de Crimen helps to provide therapy and support to Spanish-speaking family members of crime victims. 

José Guzmán's son, Guillermo Guzmán, and his friend named Rafael, were killed during a robbery on Nov. 5, 2005, while working at a Subway restaurant in the Maryvale area in Phoenix, AZ. The two young men were 15-years-old. The men who killed them were also 15-years-old and in possession of an AK-47, an assault rifle.

"The two things we ask for is a background check of the gun buyer, and a mental health check," said Guzmán, to The Arizona Republic. "There's a world of difference between a pistol to defend yourself as outlined in the second amendment, to an AK-47 or an AR-15."

Every year, with the exception of the last two years because of the pandemic, the organization also leads a community march to repudiate gun violence.

"Arizona is one of the easiest states to buy guns, and that needs to change," said Guzmán. 

Various signs throughout the crowd said "no more silence, end gun violence," "my body is more regulated than guns," "protect kids, not guns," and "the scariest thing in school should be grades."

Met with some opposition 

Counter-protestors arrived at the march carrying assault rifles and blow horns. When asked about their presence at the march, many declined to comment. 

Organizers at the march told the audience to "not engage" with counter-protestors.

"You don't need to bring an assault rifle and dress up like you're in the army and pretend you're intimidating everybody," said Shelley. "That's how you get killed."

Fisher, a teacher and member of of Arizona Education Association said that she believes Congress should pass "common-sense gun laws."

"We believe in keeping a safe environment in all of our classrooms and arming teachers and locking down schools is not the answer," said Fisher, who recalls being in her classroom when news broke of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newton, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012.

She adds that the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, renewed concerns for teachers.

"It makes me, not afraid for myself because I would put myself in front of anyone for my students but it makes me afraid for my students and it makes me concerned that they're afraid to come to school and no child should be afraid to come to school," said Fisher.

At least a thousand people began marching at 6 p.m. from the Arizona Capitol building. Phoenix Police Department and officers with the Arizona Department of Public Safety were present to help guide the march around Capitol complexes.

Evelynne Rodas Castillo, the east valley community organizer for LUCHA, says that she would like to see more gun safety regulations.

"We're here to support our community and our fellow organizations who have the same mission as us, which is to protect our kids, protect our youth," said Castillo. "At the end of the day, we're going to be the ones in those positions of power.

Reach breaking news reporter Haleigh Kochanski at hkochanski@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @HaleighKochans.

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