March For Our Lives South Bay Draws Hundreds at Rally

Jun 12, 2022 09:52AM ● By Jeanne Fratello

Photo via Nina Tarnay

The March for Our Lives South Bay brought hundreds of people to Manhattan Beach on Saturday for a march along the Strand to Hermosa Beach and a rally in support of gun violence prevention.

The march was one of more than 300 that took place around the country. It was also the second gathering to protest gun violence in just a week in Manhattan Beach. Both events took place in the wake of last month's deadly rampages in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York.

Meanwhile, on Sunday morning in Washington D.C., a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators announced that they had reached a tentative agreement on legislation that would pair modest new gun restrictions with significant new mental health and school security investments, according to the Washington Post. The group is comprised of 10 Democratic and 10 Republican sentators, indicating that the agreement could have enough GOP support to defeat a filibuster.

"Enough"

On Saturday afternoon, approximately 100 participants marched from the Manhattan Beach Pier along the Strand to the Hermosa Beach Pier, where even more supporters then gathered for a rally.

(California Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi addresses the crowd)

Among the speakers was California Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi, who told the crowd, "I am here not only as your state representative, but also as a parent, to say, 'Enough.'"

Americans are coming together to stand up for "common sense gun laws," added Muratsuchi.

Another speaker, Manhattan Beach parent Nina Tarnay, is leading an effort called "Color For Change," which asks people to color postcards to send to Congress calling for reform of gun laws.

(Manhattan Beach parent Nina Tarnay addresses the crowd)

Tarnay told the crowd that it was a busy day in her house, helping one child get ready for Mira Costa's prom, and preparing for a party for another child's promotion ceremony.

She contrasted her day with that of families in Uvalde who would not be able to experience the joy of celebrating those milestones. "If we don't advocate for our kids now, we may not continue to have the privilege of doing all of these things," she said.

Christine MacInnis, a South Bay therapist and founder of Transcends Family Therapy, told the group that mental health is key.

"We can't keep saying that mental health is the issue and then not provide mental health," she said. "For the sake of our children, let's make it easier to get a therapist than it is to buy a gun."

MacInnis added that not acknowledging the trauma people are experiencing and re-experiencing in our society is "a vicious cycle that lets us all down."

March For Our Lives is a youth-led movement dedicated to promoting civic engagement, education, and direct action by youth to eliminate the epidemic of gun violence. The organization was founded by teens in the days following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018.

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