Minnesotans join nationwide March for Our Lives protests for gun control

Minnesotans join nationwide protests for gun control

The debate over gun control in America spilled over onto the streets of Minneapolis on Saturday as local residents took to the streets to protest at the March for our Lives.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The debate over gun control in America spilled over onto the streets of Minneapolis on Saturday as local residents took to the streets to protest at the March for our Lives.

In the wake of deadly mass shootings at a Texas elementary school and New York grocery store, many people here say they have reached their limit.

"We can't allow this to become a normalcy. It happens every other day, it seems," protester Jim Grider said. "You look at a country like Canada, our neighbor, why can't we have similar laws?"

Former school teacher Cathleen O'Donnell was among the hundreds of people who attended the protest, which began near the U.S. Bank Center downtown.

"It scares the daylights out of you. And I worked with special education kids who could not run for their lives. We have got to get this under control," she said.

Most of the people in the crowd Fox 9 spoke with were on the same page about what kind of gun control laws they would like to see passed: an assault weapons ban, universal background checks for other gun purchases and limits on the capacity of gun magazines.

"We are absolutely asking, begging our politicians to ban assault weapons. It's insane that babies continue to be murdered in this society, it's crazy," said protester Terry Grider.

Gun rights advocates see the situation differently. The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus described the protests as "divisive."

"The events today are capitalizing on our nation's emotions by pushing divisive and unconstitutional policies that would not have prevented the terrorist attack in Uvalde. Instead, elected officials should be focused in areas where common ground exists," the organization wrote in a press release Saturday. "Our organization remains committed to engaging in honest conversations about ways to improve public safety, especially in our schools, while protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners."