The City of Miami Beach is expecting a large turnout Saturday for their "March for Our Lives" rally that's taking place in conjunction with rallies throughout the country.
The rally is being held with leadership from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School alumni, Miami Beach Senior High School students and other Miami-based youth leaders.
Attendees are encouraged to arrive at Miami Beach Senior High School at 2231 Prairie Avenue at 8 a.m., with a march scheduled for 10 a.m. The march will go to Collins Park via Dade Boulevard, taking a right on 23 Street and then another right on Liberty Avenue.
After the march will be the rally with a speaking program. Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber and City Commission, Marjory Stoneman Douglas current students and alum, Emily Estefan, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, Susan Windmiller of the Miami-Dade County League of Voters and other special guests will attend.
"We're all just working together every day to make sure this march is successful and gets as many people involved as possible," organizer Hannah Gelber said.
The students are advocating for gun control and mental health counseling. They say they want to send a clear message to lawmakers.
"This is us telling them that we will be able to vote in the next election and that we will be able to make our voices heard," Gelber said.
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Participants attending the Miami Beach event are encouraged to wear white clothing. On Wednesday evening, students participating in the march were recognized by the city commission.
"I want you to keep going until we finally make a change and get rid of these assault weapons in our schools," Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez said.
Parking on Miami Beach is expected to fill up quickly, so city officials are encouraging attendees to make arrangements with a charter or shuttle bus, use Miami-Dade Transit bus service or a ride-sharing service. Lyft has said they will be offering a limited number of free rides for people attending the march.
If you must drive, parking for the march will be available at the City Hall Garage located at 1755 Meridian Avenue (entrance on Meridian Avenue and 18th Street) with free shuttle service to Miami Beach High. Additional parking is available at the 17th Street Garage (entrance at 17th and Convention Center Drive) as well as Pennsylvania Avenue Garage (adjacent to 17th Street Garage, with an entrance on Pennsylvania Avenue and Lincoln Lane North, right off of 17th Street).
