UNC student activists rally against gun violence in Raleigh
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students on Tuesday rallied outside the state legislative building, demanding lawmakers take meaningful steps to end gun violence.
Shouting "Vote them out," students targeted Republican lawmakers who they say won't support tighter gun laws.
Students said they are fed up and angry, demanding change. They said shootings, especially in learning environments, are becoming all too common, even calling themselves the "lockdown generation."
"This is not a club you want to be a part of," said Leah Karevat, who lives in Apex.
Karevat said her peers are too familiar with active shooter drills. On Aug. 28, those drills were no longer a simulation as students hid from an active shooter on UNC’s campus.
The students said they want to turn their distress into action, speaking at Bicentennial Plaza and going door-to-door, speaking with lawmakers inside the legislature.
"Change is not a choice; it’s a necessity," one speaker said. "We want the general assembly to pass common sense gun legislation."
The rally was purposely planned for Tuesday, as the students hoped to connect with lawmakers as they work to pass the state budget.
Hours before the rally, students gathered inside the legislative building to hold a news conference urging lawmakers for change.
Amie Boakye, an 18-year-old sophomore, said she is a survivor of multiple school shootings.
"While no law or set of laws will end gun violence in totality ... it is clear that we need some form of action," Boakye said. "If we can save even one child's life then we need to do something."
Boakye said she is scarred from the shootings she has experienced.
UNC senior Luke Deasio said he was spurred to action by "shooting after shooting for decades and we don't do anything about it."
Activists spoke about two specific issues -- gun control and voter rights.
The students said they want to see "common sense laws" like red flags laws, which permit the state to temporarily remove firearms from individuals, and background checks for gun sales. They also want to see more young voters at the polls in a hope to end gun violence.
"When I hear loud pops I shutter ... when I hear sirens I check my phone to make sure I don't need to go into hiding again," Boakye described.
March for Our Lives, a UNC group, was one of several at the 1 p.m. protest.
"It's horrifying, and nobody should have to go through it," said Alexander Denza, an organizer with the group. "And so many people in our communities do every single day."
Hailey Baldwin, another sophomore who spoke Tuesday, said she was in Lenoir Dining Hall when she saw the notification on her phone on Aug. 28.
"I was surrounded by strangers tossing around the words 'active shooter,"" she said. "We weren't even sure if the doors were locked ... It was surreal. There were no words to describe the fear that gripped us. "
Baldwin described how terrifying it was to wait in the dining hall, saying she heard false rumors that 10 students were shot and the shooter was dressed as an FBI agent going from door to door.
N.C. Rep. Laura Budd and N.C. Sen. Graig Meyer attended the rally, which lasted 90 minutes and featured speeches from students, elected officials and even a survivor from the 2018 Parkland shooting in Florida.
