Student organizer shares her thoughts on the day’s event

As an organizer for the Chicago Die-In, a sister demonstration to the National Die-In on the Capitol Lawn, I was so happy to see how many people actually participated — I did not expect so many students to come from all different parts of Chicago, and to see so many adults willing to lie on the ground in solidarity.

We wanted to make a statement about how prevalent and constant this issue of gun violence is not only in Chicago, but in the rest of the country as well. It was important to make our voices heard and to educate passersby. The time is up for our silence: We can no longer wait for someone else to stand up for victims of gun violence and for our lives. Events like these provide us with the perfect opportunity to channel the masses.

Sofia Dekhtyar (@Sofia4Change) is a 2018 graduate of Niles West High School (Skokie, Illinois). She will be attending Loyola University Chicago and hopes to study social work so she can continue focusing on issues such as gun violence. 

This is a story about the Community Safety and Peace and Gun Policy strategies of the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities.