On Friday, students across the U.S. demanded action on gun reform by walking out of class at 10am as part of a National School Walkout, reports CNN. Japanese American director, actor, writer, and activist George Takei was among those who voiced support along with several other Hollywood celebrities, reports The Wrap.
19 years after Columbine, we are still grappling with senseless gun violence in our schools. I stand with all those participating in today’s #NationalSchoolWalkout to honor those who were lost and to fight for gun safety and #GunsenseNow. pic.twitter.com/ApjwBW1vr2
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) April 20, 2018
The demonstration draws momentum from February’s mass shooting at South Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. April 20 also marks an anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Colorado in which two gunmen killed 12 students and a teacher.
Takei, who is an openly gay proponent of LGBT rights and is active in state and local politics, has voiced his support for gun control before. In the wake of the Orlando nightclub massacre, Takei encouraged the LGBT community to lead the charge on gun policy reform in an article in The Daily Beast.
“Like it or not, this history and this obligation have been thrust upon us, and we must now rise to its challenge,” he wrote. “For if there is one group in this country with more will, more experience, and more tenacity than the NRA, it is the LGBT community.”
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