Mumbai Residents Protest Outside U.S. Consulate to Support ‘March For Our Lives’

By Little India Desk | March 27, 2018

As the United States saw one of its biggest protests in decades over the gun control laws in the country, a group of people in Mumbai also took out a “March For Our Lives” demonstration to the U.S. consulate on March 25 to express their solidarity with their friends, family and others in America. The solidarity march in Mumbai, however, invited a spate of mixed reactions on the social media.

The “March for Our Lives” is a student-led demonstration, organized by members of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland along with a non-profit organization called Everytown for Gun Safety. While a huge congregation participated in the protest in Washington D.C, sister marches were held across the country to push the Trump administration for gun control laws in the wake of frequent mass public shootings.

The march in Mumbai was held to “show people in the United States that they’re not alone,” ANI quoted a protester named Anil Rohira as saying.

“We stand with them united in this mission to end gun violence.This march is awareness. Not only in the United States but throughout the world, every life is precious. This should not happen that an innocent kid going into school to gain knowledge and education does not return home one evening. As citizens of the world, we should make sure this does not happen,” he further said to the news agency.

However, the Mumbai march led to some derision on the social media.

These are the people who stay in Bandra yet call “911” during an emergency pic.twitter.com/WETskiHmkm

— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) March 25, 2018

Just to note, India does not have gun control problems.

Among the various problems it does have however, jumping on every bandwagon is one of them. https://t.co/qtQCvznTN5

— Kevin Sebastian (@NoxVoyager) March 26, 2018

When the earthquake is in Hawaii but you mark yourself safe in Hoshiarpur! https://t.co/2ncUAKKLWu

— Pratyasha Rath (@pratyasharath) March 25, 2018

Tweets poured in support of the march as well, even as the organizers of the event changed the settings of their Twitter account — March For Our Lives, Mumbai — to the protected mode.

For those who asking why should we protest here. Remember many Indians are living in US and the victims of gun violence includes Indian Americans too. A little support from this part of world will not waste some sweat.

— Nidh (@DrNidhn) March 25, 2018

Just showing their support. Kids in the USA are humans too. Any kind of support to the cause is great.

— bee🥀 (@reputationswxft) March 25, 2018

Many Indian have relatives over there maybe they are raising their voice for it. It has nothing to do with fetish…

— Rahulgandhi pm 2019 (@rightwing96) March 25, 2018

The solidarity marches also took place in London,Copenhagen, Madrid, Tokyo,Brisbane, Rome, and Paris, CNN reported.

“March For Our Lives” in the United States has also been backed by several Indian American lawmakers. Democrat Senator Kamala Harris joined the march in Los Angeles, while Democrat Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal showed off her “F” rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA), that indicates her lack of support to American gun laws, American Bazaar reported. The pro-gun lobby rates members of Congress depending on their voting record on the right to bear arms.

Invoking her part in 27 legislative actions to bring about gun laws, Jayapal declared that she has never taken money from the NRA. Democratic Congressman Ami Bera of California joined the rally in Sacramento.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi  from Illionois said he will “keep fighting for real gun reform in Congress with the knowledge that today is only a beginning,” the report added. It also quoted Democrat Congressman Ro Khanna of California as saying: “Americans are not divided on the issue of gun safety. The majority stands with all those who are taking to the streets today to March for our Lives. Every time that Congress fails to pass meaningful gun safety legislation, we are failing the American people.”