March for Our Lives Rally in Gough Park 032418

Photos, video and article by Sandra Michaud

{flowplayer width=400 height=300}/images/video/2018_video/DSC_4336.mp4{/flowplayer}

Over 350 people of all ages, students, parents, educators and seniors, met in Gough Park Saturday to show their support of the student rallies against gun violence being held all over the country. After a moment of silence, September Opal, Maria Casler and Wind Markham led the crowd in a song.

Maryam Weidner, organizer of the event, introduced the speakers, which included Andrea Warner and Wind Markham, who described their concerns as mothers; educators Jim McIntosh and Jesse Franklin Owens and County Commissioner Harry Browne and State Senator Howie Morales. Jennifer Johnson, WNMU Professor of Psychology, rounded out the program.

Despite a few people in large diesel trucks who showed their displeasure by gunning engines and blowing diesel smoke at the crowd, the event proceeded peacefully. Franklin-Owens commented that he saw a “level of intimidation in this county” and related an anecdote about a student who posted about the rally and “got trashed.”

Johnston told the audience that one way to react is to relegate the killer to obscurity. “Talk about the victims, not the killer. Don’t mention his name.”

She recommended that people should check out the No Notoriety campaign, which can be found at https://nonotoriety.com/.

Morales said, “We have a saying here in New Mexico, ‘Ya Basta!’ It means ‘Enough!” We’ve had enough.”

Browne said, “This is what I believe is happening – FINALLY – with the gun debate. Our right to own firearms conflicts with our right to live free of fear that we or our children will be killed by firearms. Let’s take this moment to Santa Fe and change some laws.”

Weidner closed by telling the crowd that there were people available in the park to register them to vote if they weren’t already, and that they could also get registration information by texting Fight 788-683 or Ready 644-33.