Iowa City students march to call for end to gun violence

IOWA CITY — About 35 incoming Iowa City High School freshmen marched through the city Monday afternoon to call for an end to gun violence — and for more drills on how to flee from an active school shooter.

The students marched from College Green Park to the Pentacrest on the University of Iowa campus to protest the recent school shootings in the United States.

“We will continue protesting, and we will continue screaming,” said Zee Lauer, 14, a City High freshman and protest organizer. “They can put a silencer on a gun, but they can’t put a silencer on us.”

Lauer said Iowa City schools should have an optional active shooter drill and discussions during homeroom periods about gun violence.

Peter Brozene, 14, another City High freshman and protest organizer, said students want consistent attention brought to preventing gun violence.

“When a shooting happens, people talk about it for maybe a week and don’t say anything until the next shooting,” Brozene said. “I do go to school wondering it if will be my last day or if I should’ve said I love you to my dad or my mom.”

Support from leaders

Two Johnson County leaders joined the students in the march.

Iowa City Council member Janice Weiner, who won the Iowa Senate District 45 Democratic primary this month, said the Iowa Legislature needs to follow every avenue to reduce gun violence.

“Unfortunately, we’ve left it in the hands of the younger generation because the older generations have failed to act,” Weiner said. “We have a chance to act again, but I think the younger generations are letting us know that they aren’t having it anymore.”

Johnson County Supervisor Jon Green said the county board is using $300,000 of its federal American Rescue Plan Act money for a gun violence intervention project and for social and emotional supports for youth.

“Unfortunately, not a day goes by that the urgency of getting that program put together isn’t illustrated for us,” Green said. “I just want to underline how much we’ve failed kids. Fourteen-year-olds should have about a million better things to do. They should be able to enjoy their youth, their summer, and not do this.”

Trauma ripples

Sasha Ackerman, 14, another City High freshman and protest organizer, said she and some of her classmates talked to their South East Junior High principal about student resources for preventing gun violence.

“We need to let them know why it's wrong,” she said. “There shouldn’t need to be another shooting.”

Ackerman’s mother, Alex Ackerman, 48, said it would be naive to believe there isn’t a risk of an active shooter in the Iowa City schools, though the schools are pretty well secured.

“I know that doesn’t mean there is 100 percent safety, but you get buzzed into the school, you can’t just walk in,” she said. “Every time (a shooting) happens, there is trauma that is rippled out into the community, and (students) can’t just sit and learn.”

Sasha Ackerman added that she and her classmates are going to continue organizing protests.

“The more we do, the more we learn,” she said. “We are 14, so we shouldn’t have to be protesting this stuff, but we are.”

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