Moms Demand Action rally to be held Friday in Rochester

(ABC 6 News) – A rally surrounding gun violence prevention is coming to Rochester, Minn., this Friday afternoon in the City Hall Atrium.

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a movement to create more safeguards when it comes to guns and protect Americans, is announcing its annual Wear Orange event.

The event starts at 2:30 p.m. June 7.

There will be community members, advocates, survivors, and local leaders, including Rochester Mayor Kim Norton. Mayor Norton is expected to read a proclamation “recognizing the need for gun violence prevention, honoring those affected by gun violence and calling for meaningful action to prevent future tragedies.”

Wear Orange started on June 2, 2015, the day of Chicago’s Hadiya Pendleton’s would-be 18th birthday. Pendleton was fatally shot just weeks after performing at President Obama’s second inaugural parade in 2013.

After her death, Pendleton’s friends began wearing orange, the colors hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves, and the theme of orange has carried on since.

“We wear orange to show our strong solidarity with the victims and survivors of gun violence
and to demand a future free from gun violence,” said Mom’s Demand Acrion Co-Lead Anne
Suchomel. “Our goal is to bring the community together, educate the public about safe gun
storage and the impact of gun violence, and advocate for changes needed to save lives.”