US: Anti-gun violence rally in Washington marred by panic after man yells 'I am the gun'

The massive anti-gun violence rally in Washington was disrupted during a moment of silence after a man reportedly shouted "I am the gun." Torn by panic and fear, people rushed away from the staging area at the National Mall against the backdrop of the White House, Washington Post reported. Dozens of demonstrators scattered in fear, leading to disruptions, crowd panic, and a brief stampede, one of the attendees later told the publication.

However, according to police reports, it was highly unclear as to what really caused the chaos as no firearms or weapons were found curtailing any outstanding concerns. "This area is safe," a police officer told the publication. Nevertheless, the incident largely spooked the crowd who had gathered to call for stricter gun laws in the country mired by sporadic gun violence.

Thousands rally in the US, call for stricter gun laws

In the wake of recent mass shootings in the US, thousands of demonstrators descended to streets demanding immediate federal reforms and stricter gun laws. At the protests, people chanted "I want freedom from getting shot," further calling on Congress to "pass common sense gun safety" laws as proposed by US President Joe Biden shortly after the Texas school shooting incident last month. On an overcast day, speaker after speaker took to the stage and delivered an impassioned speech narrating the "scare" of living life under "fear."  

[Demonstrators calling for gun control march across the Brooklyn Bridge, Saturday, June 11, 2022, in New York. (IMAGE: AP]

Demonstrators also slammed Congress for failing to curb the gun carnage that has continued to rock the US. Nearly 450 demonstrations took place across the country, including Washington, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The anti-gun violence protests were organised by 'March for our Lives' (MOFL) - a union founded by the student survivors of the Parkland school shooting, Florida in 2018.

Speaking at the rally in Washington was David Hogg, the founder of MOFL, who decried the frequency of mass gun attacks that have mired America in the past decade. "I am sorry...as we gather here, the next shooter is plotting his attack... I am so angry," Hogg said, as quoted by WP. A board member of the group added that the repeated ghastly incidents stemmed largely from political inaction. "We will no longer allow you to sit back while people continue to die," said Trevon Bosley, MOFL board member, BBC reported.

Biden on Saturday tweeted in support of the rally. "Today, young people around the country once again march with March for our Lives to call on Congress to pass common-sense gun safety legislation supported by a majority of Americans and gun owners," he wrote. He joined the calls of the young survivors urging Congress to "do something".

Gun violence in US

The youth-led movement comes after a gun attack ripped through the US in the past months. At least 19 children and 2 adults were killed on May 24 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The incident took place 10 days after as many as 10 Black people were brutally murdered in Buffalo, New York in a racially-motivated shooting. Recently, a gunman fatally shot two women outside a church in Iowa, before killing himself. Another person was killed in a Pennsylvania Walmart by a layman shooter who reportedly entered the store with the aim of robbery.

(Image: AP)