March on Washington for Gun Control Is Scheduled for January 26 on the National Mall

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Jan 17, 2013, 06:00 ET

Program Will Include Top Elected Officials, Religious Leaders, Gun-Violence Survivors and Families of Victims, Actors from Hollywood and Broadway

WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thousands of ordinary citizens, spurred by the Newtown gun massacre, plan a silent march on the National Mall on Saturday, Jan. 26, to support President Obama's gun-control plan and call on Congress and state legislators to protect Americans from gun violence.

The citizen-led March on Washington for Gun Control will unite concerned parents, pastors, actors, gun-violence survivors, law enforcement officers, elected officials and others who want what most Americans now want: Common-sense protections against senseless gun violence. This week, a Washington Post-ABC News poll found most Americans support tougher laws against gun violence, including prohibiting assault weapons, such as the one used in Newtown, Conn.

Marchers will gather at 10 a.m. on Jan. 26, at the U.S. Capitol Reflecting Pool east of Third Street, NW, across from the National Museum of the American Indian. At 11 a.m., they will walk in silence along Constitution Avenue to the Washington Monument carrying hundreds of white signs, each bearing the name of a gun-violence victim. Joined by Newtown families, the District of Columbia's Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Mayor Vincent Gray, and Councilmembers David Grosso, Kenyan McDuffie and Tommy Wells will lead the March carrying a banner that reads "When we stand together, we stand a chance."

Speakers will include Congresswoman Norton; U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.); Senior Pastor Dean Snyder of Foundry United Methodist Church, Washington, D.C.; Virginia Tech massacre survivor Colin Goddard; Shannon Watts, founder of One Million Moms for Gun Control; and Hollywood actress Kathleen Turner, who has starred in movies such Romancing the Stone (1984) and Body Heat (1981). The program features speeches, as well as musical performances by Broadway and Washington actors.

Unaffiliated with any organization, the March is the brainchild of Washington Arena Stage Artistic Director Molly Smith, American Indian activist Suzanne Blue Star Boy and other local volunteer activists. One Million Moms for Gun Control, formed immediately after Newtown, signed on last week to co-sponsor the event. News of the March has spread through Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/GunCtrlMarch), Twitter (@GunCtrlMarch) and other social media.

"There is a groundswell of emotion around the massacre at Sandy Hook," said Smith. "This March is an opportunity for people to express their grief, demand change and support the president's plan. We are at the tipping point."

Participants are calling for Congress and state legislatures to do the following:

Reinstate and strengthen the federal ban on the sale of military-style assault rifles such as the one used to kill 20 children and 6 teachers in Newtown
Ban the sale of high-capacity ammunition magazines that kill many people quickly
Require universal criminal and mental-health background checks for all firearm buyers
Prohibit sales of bullets that shatter inside the body
Require gun-safety training for all buyers of firearms

The March starting point can be reached via Washington Metrorail stations at Capitol South, Federal Center SW or Union Station or by parking at Union Station. For more information, visit www.GunControlMarch.com.

For more information:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GunCtrlMarch
RSVP on Facebook: http://ow.ly/gPZBb
Donate: www.rally.org/marchonwashingtonforguncontrol
Web: www.guncontrolmarch.com
Twitter: @GunCtrlMarch Hashtag: #GunCtrlMarch
Watch: youtube.com/gunctrlmarch
Petition: http://tinyurl.com/bereug3
Shop: www.cafepress.com/whenwestandtogetherwestandachance