Rally against mass shootings to be held Saturday, June 11 in Princeton

Signs from the 2018 Princeton rally against gun violence. “Protect kids, not guns.” File photo by Erika Shor.

The Princeton-based Coalition for Peace Action will host a rally against mass shootings calling for action to stop America’s gun violence epidemic from 4 to 5:30 p.n. on Saturday, June 11, on Hinds Plaza in Princeton.

June 11 will be a day of action against gun violence in nearly 500 U.S. cities that is being coordinated by March for Our Lives, the youth-led gun violence prevention group that was formed after the Parkland, Fla. mass shooting that killed seventeen high school students in 2018. The focus of the events on June 11 will be to express sorrow and mourn the lives lost in recent mass shootings. People will also advocate for action to stop America’s surging epidemic of gun violence.

Confirmed speakers for the event include Teska Frisbee, Mercer County Gun Violence Prevention Lead for Moms Demand Action; Rabbi Arnold Gluck of Temple Beth-El in Hillsborough; the Rev. Robert Moore, executive director of the Coalition for Peace Action; Dolores Phillips, legislative director of the Coalition’s Ceasefire NJ Project; gun violence survivor Sue Repko, Laura Zurfluh of Indivisible Cranbury, and New Jersey State Sen. Andrew Zwicker.

Event coordinators said one action people will advocate for is a package of eight new gun safety bills to make New Jersey’s already strict gun control laws even stronger. Gov. Phil Murphy supports the bills, which are about to begin moving through the New Jersey legislature. Advocates for gun control will also urge Congress to reduce easy access to guns, especially by those prone to violence.

“Our nation has been traumatized by the brutal, senseless killing of so many innocents in mass shootings in recent weeks,” Moore said. “We invite everyone to come together to mourn, but even more important, be empowered to unite to stop and reverse the surging epidemic of gun violence across our nation.”

Hinds Plaza is located next to the Princeton Public Library at 65 Witherspoon Street. Leave plenty of time to park and walk to the plaza on the day of the event if you attend. Send your rally photos with photo descriptions and credits to editorATplanetprinceton.com and we will publish them as part of our rally photo gallery.