Thousands of people are expected to attend March For Our Lives at the State Capitol in Hartford on Saturday. The local event is one of several nationwide being held to push for tougher gun laws after several mass shootings at schools across the country.
The march will begin at 12:30 p.m. at the Corning Fountain and end at the Connecticut State Capitol where speakers, will address the crowd.
“Youth of America are coming together to hold those that are in office and those that have the power to be accountable for what’s taking place in the school systems, what’s taking place with the gun trades and also the guns that are coming into our communities,” said Bobbi Brown, one of the speakers.
The march in Hartford is one of 800 marches planned nationwide, including one in Washington, D.C. where half-a-million people are expected.
Hartford Police have been closely monitoring the event schedule and will have extra police officers patrolling on Saturday. Some will be undercover and some in uniform, but they won’t be wearing helmets and wielding batons, said Deputy Chief Brian Foley. Instead police plan to greet people with a smile and a handshake.
“It sets the tone that we are a friendly police department, that we want to be a part of the change and the solution and not a part of the problem,” Foley said.
Police will also keep an eye on the city through their extensive camera system. Foley said he expects it to be a very safe event.
