Due to inclement weather, the noon press conference portion of this event has been moved to the CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER – ROOM SVC 201
Washington, D.C. — On Thursday, June 13, six months after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, families and friends of victims will join policymakers and advocates at the U.S. Capitol Building for a day-long event to remember the 26 children and educators tragically murdered last December in Newtown, Connecticut.
Families and advocates will begin the day at 9:00 a.m. with a “No More Names” reading to remember the 4,800 men, women, and children who have been killed by guns since the tragedy in Newtown.
The continuous name reading will pause at noon for a press conference led by Jillian Soto, sister of Victoria Soto who was shot and killed at Sandy Hook, who will begin by reading the names of the 26 children and educators killed at Sandy Hook. She will be joined by several members of Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT), Rep. Peter King (R-NY), Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA). Other Newtown family members will also be attending the event.
Immediately following the press conference, families from Newtown and supporters will gather to form human “Ribbon of Remembrance” on the front lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building. Standing in unity to remember those lives lost, participants will observe a moment of silence. Upon the conclusion of the moment of silence, families and advocates will resume reading the names of those lives lost to gun violence for the remainder of the day, finally concluding at 9:00 p.m.
WHAT:
A press conference and public demonstrations to mark the six-month anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and to demand congressional action on gun reform.
WHO:
Speakers at the press conference will include:
- Jillian Soto, sister of Victoria Soto, who hid her students and then was shot and killed confronting the gunman in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown
- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)
- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
- Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
- Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT)
- Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT)
- Rep. Peter King (R-NY)
- Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA)
WHEN:
Thursday, June 13, 2013
- 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Name-reading vigil observing the lives lost since the Newtown shooting (Outside the US Capitol Building, Zone 1)
- 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Press conference with key lawmakers (Capitol Visitor Center – SVC 201)
- 12:30 p.m. -1:00 p.m.: Formation of the “Ribbon of Remembrance”
- 1:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.: Resume name-reading vigil observing the lives lost since the Newtown shooting
WHERE:
CAPITOL VISITOR CENTER – ROOM SVC 201
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, please contact Katie Peters at [email protected] or 202.741.6285.
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ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On Wednesday, June 12, Newtown families and advocates will hand-deliver letters to key lawmakers signed by more than 80 gun-safety groups—representing 10.5 million members and supporters—and other organizations working to reduce gun violence from across the country. The letter to the Senate demands they resurrect the Safe Communities Safe Schools Act 2013, S. 649, and the Manchin-Toomey Amendment No. 715 that protects Second Amendment rights and closes loopholes in the background check system. The letter for House members targets potential co-sponsors of the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act 2013, H.R. 1565. A list of names of the more than 4,800 victims of gun violence since December 14 will also be included with these letters. That number has since surpassed the total number of U.S. military casualties in Iraq according to Slate’s gun-deaths project.
On Friday, June 14, in Newtown, Mayors Against Illegal Guns will launch a national bus drive—the “No More Names: The National Drive to Reduce Gun Violence” tour. At each stop on the 25-state, 100-day tour, gun-violence survivors and the families of Americans murdered with guns will rally the public for common-sense gun laws, including comprehensive and enforceable background checks for all gun sales. The bus will also be present at the event on Thursday in Washington, D.C., and make the trip to Newtown for Friday’s event. For more information, please see www.demandaction.org.
The press conference and public demonstrations are being organized by gun-violence-prevention advocates from the Newtown Action Alliance, the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and No More Names.
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