FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2024
Media Contact: Melissa Garriga | [email protected]
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Students and Alumni Demand a Ceasefire for Gaza in Vigil During Vice President Harris's Visit
PARKLAND, FL - An independent group of Marjory Stoneman Douglas students, alumni, and other community members—including activists from Palestinian-led allied advocacy groups—will hold a ceasefire vigil for Gaza outside of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (MSD) in Parkland, Florida, on March 23 at 10am during Vice President Kamala Harris’s tour of the site of the 2018 massacre. Students and alumni will make statements calling on the Vice President to live up to her pledge to prevent gun violence in schools and to halt Israel’s military attacks against schools and universities in Gaza. The peaceful vigil will feature speeches from gun violence prevention activists and MSD alumni.
While VP Harris touts her record on gun violence prevention, President Joe Biden’s administration continues to arm and support the Israeli army as it bombs schools in Gaza. To date, it has destroyed U.N. schools and every university in the region, and the death toll includes an estimated 13,450 children. MSD students and alumni, who still feel the profound effects of the shooting at their school on February 14, 2018, call on VP Harris to honor Parkland victims by declaring a ceasefire in Gaza. Schools everywhere, from Parkland to Palestine, should be safe for children and free from gun violence.
The vigil will take place outside the entrance of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, at 5901 Pine Island Road, Parkland, FL, 33076. For more information, please contact Karma Anderson | [email protected].
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CODEPINK is a grassroots peace and social justice movement that emerged in 2002 in response to the Iraq War. Committed to promoting diplomacy and disarmament, CODEPINK engages in creative, nonviolent actions to address issues of militarism, injustice, and inequality. With a focus on women-led initiatives, the organization strives to build a world free from violence and oppression, advocating for a just and sustainable peace. CODEPINK's vibrant activism spans a range of global and local campaigns, amplifying voices for positive change and challenging policies that perpetuate conflict.