Two months after the Newtown massacre, thousands rallied at the Connecticut state Capitol Thursday to demand that lawmakers strengthen the state’s gun laws, the Associated Press reported. The crowd was estimated at 5,000.
Holding signs that read: “We are Sandy Hook. We deserve change” and “Let’s get this done,” many in crowd — estimated by the state Capitol Police at 5,500 — said they wanted to make sure their opinions were heard. They said they did not want them overshadowed by vocal gun rights advocates who’ve successfully defeated gun control measures in Connecticut in the past, such as limits on the size of magazines.
Among the crowd was Jillian Soto, whose sister Victoria Soto was one of the teachers killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. “She fought to save her children in her classroom,” Soto said. “And I’m here fighting for the same thing, to save everybody’s lives here, because we need to do something to change.”
