Thousands Denounce Gun Violence At San Diego's 'March For Our Lives'

>>> It remains to be seen what effect the March for our lives protest will have on our country. But school protesters proved they can have a large turnout for the cause. Here in San Diego it is estimated that about 10,000 people mostly students took part in the downtown March with more marches taking place in Escondido and Encinitas. Education reporter Megan Burks was at the San Diego demonstration and joins us now. Welcome, Meghan. Give us a sense on what the March for our lives protest was like. Where most of the marchers young people? >> It was a good spread. There were a lot of youth OutFront and all of the speakers in the event and all of those leading the march down Harbor Drive for students. There were also a lot of adults there. teachers were there. lot of people who said they have been marching for causes in the 60s and they still have to come out. A good spread. >>> What did some of the sign say ? >> there were a lot of signs saying I should only have to pack a lunch for school not arms. People say I'm educated, I'm angry, I'm going to vote. A lot of signs calling out the NRA. Also a group of signs that caught my eye for some counselors and counseling students from USD and their sign said we are future counselors and here to support you. >>> What did the future counselors have to say about the school shootings in general? Speak -- >> I spoke with Hannah. Let's hear from her. >> I did my thesis on school shootings. The more I learn about school violence shootings, and poor communities in areas less regulated and less protected, I feel more that urgent action is necessary. >> A lot of people turn to that as mental health and turn to that before gun control. Someone who is trained to be a mental health clinician what you say to that? >> That is a red herring. The incidences of African mental illness is 5%. Only 4% of violence is perpetrated our perpetuity by the mentally ill. Mentally ill people are likely to be perpetrating violence. Especially when politicians turn to mental health as the cost but refused to provide mental health funding or support for institutions it is a way to dismiss accountability. The problem is more with the lack of regulation of guns and with our country's problem with masculinity and how we treat boys. >> Reporter: Can you break that down. >> I think we teach boys that they are really only allowed to express anger and that softness is not a Loud. -- Allowed. We bring them with the sense that they are owed things from society. When they are not given those things, they can take things out on that society for doing an injustice. >> That is Hannah Freeman in the clinical health Masters program. >>> This event was sparked by the shooting in Parkland Florida. How is that tragedy remembered at the March. >> With all of these youth speakers, more than a dozen from all over the county. A lot of them took the time to say the names of some of the victims in Parkland. They also said the names of victims of police shooting violence and violence in the streets outside of schools. It's here about that. >> We say no more from Parkland, Chicago, Baltimore, Trevor Vaughan, Felicia, >> Those were students from Patrick Henry high school reading a poem together. >>> Where the marchers here calling for tighter state laws? >> For the most part, they were calling for restrictions at the federal level that marchers across the U.S. for calling four. They were calling to support their cause. There were a list of demands put out online by the youth organizers along with the women's March Organizers. >>> Word about -- what about counter protesters ? >> There was a small amount of counter protesters immensity outside of his truck with the American flag and an NRA flag. There was a guy with the Trump make America great flag and people booed at him and he laughed. I spoke with one counter protester Brad Tyler after the March. >> I said California already has gun-control laws. How much more. That is happening in the state. We have already got the strictest gun control laws in the decade. We have everything on the laundry list being promoted at the national level. We have had the laws for decades. They don't work. We still have mass shootings despite all of the gun-control laws. They don't work. People are pushing gun-control look at evil NRA and the members and say it is your fault. And they pass punitive laws that do no good and save know people. >> Reporter: I hear your account, but surely you don't want kids to get hurt. What do you think is a viable solution? >> One thing that could've certainly worked in the Florida case is if law enforcement did their damn job. Nobody was surprised that this kid was a killer. The school shooter oh yeah everybody New this. There were tips to the FBI. This kid has guns and he's going to hurt himself and he's going to be a school shooter. They do nothing about it. The failure of law enforcement to stop this kid that everyone knew was trouble. It is amazing. Just one of those multiple occasions they had if it was pressed and investigated a bit further. Or he was prosecuted for any of his minor crimes, that would've disqualify fight him for buying a firearm. >> That was Brad Tyler's San Diego resident. He says if we pass stricter gun control laws that the onus is on law enforcement to enforce and taking their attention off people like the Parkland shooter. >>> I begin by saying it remains to be seen with the outcome of the marches will be. Do we know if there any legislation or broader political movements coming out of these marches? >> The Department of Justice issued its pump stock Van that the White House promised. What we are seeing as a mobilizing to get people to vote in the midterm elections. >>> I have been speaking with KPBS education reporter Megan Burks. Thank you, Meghan. >> Thank you.