HOUSTON -- Students led a rally at Houston City Hall Sunday evening to protest gun violence.
The protest is organized by "March For Our Lives," an advocacy group rallying students since the high school shooting in Parkland, Florida earlier this year.
The movement has been focused on registering young voters and pushing others to vote for leaders who want to change gun laws.
“It’s just awful what’s happening. People don’t understand its affecting students,” 18-year-old Jessica Hills said tearfully at the rally.
Survivors and family members of the school shooting in Santa Fe joined activists pushing for change.
The mother of one of the victims, Kimberley Vaughan, spoke during the event.
“[Kimberley’s] time of death was 7:45 AM because of multiple gunshot wounds. She was shot 4 times. My baby was killed in the art room with two of her friends,” said Rhonda Hart.
“The reason I can’t be around fireworks, the reason I can’t listen to music, the reason I can’t set foot back into my high school is because an entire generation of politicians lack the spine to address this country’s gun violence epidemic,” said Bree Butler, who recently graduated Santa Fe High School.
However, gun rights advocates showed up at the rally as well.
Many openly carried firearms to send a message.
“Just because someone is armed doesn’t make them a threat. It doesn’t mean people are going to die,” said CJ Grisham, the founder of Open Carry Texas. “You can’t have a gun in a school and yet that failed. These kids are coming over here saying they want even more failed policies, so we want to stand up to that.”
“I believe they’re trying to take away my rights. My rights. And I don’t believe that’s the right way to address the problem,” said Jonathan Treibs, 18 years old.
The two-hour rally ended peacefully with both sides rooted in their stance.
Both fighting for what they believe is right.