for help give it. Otherwise stay out of their way. They got this. The cool thing they drag their parents with them. Too many co opted us in the 60s. These kids are focused and single minded..

to help the young ones fight any false narratives being put forward by the NRA, gun manufacturers, GOP, etc.

And to fight any of the corporate Dems' likely plans to co-opt their mission in a craven plan to utilize the energy but not act on the issue at hand--serious, meaningful gun control laws at the federal level.

I think they got this on their own. Don't push anything on them if they ask help them. Short of physical violence I think they are an irresistible force. If they pull that shit they get stronger. We should be asking them to guide us. We've proven we suck at it.

and should be treated as such

Stick to the long-term script, don't go for the short-term radical action, and most of all - don't let the people who want to do something big undercut yourselves and your causes.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen necessary progressive protests and movements hijacked by a few radicals who don't understand that everyone has to be part of the movement, not just a few irresponsible, reactive "leaders" dictating what feels right to them personally - with big mouths or big money to buy others to take responsibility for the direction of the movement.

Haele

Think strategically with the long game in mind.

Also, it would be nice if the initial protests and later actions don't get diluted with a bunch of perpetual gadflies trying to push their specific pet cause. I know that is hard to enforce, but the message should be singular. Not "Sane gun control" and "Living wage for all" and "stop Myanmar genocide" and etc etc.

protest is a collective action requiring respect for long term goals and the needs of many, including those who require convincing in the general population

Beware of anyone who uses protest to feed their ego, and to make their personal expression regardless of its impact on goals

most likely armed, intimidate you.

There will propably also be antifa people on your side but let them deal with the wingers, and ironically, you're going to want to follow the instructions of the police who will also be there.

You don't want to get arrested and I repeat, you don't want to get involved in any antifa v winger clashes.

did. I agree the Vietnam were far more high jacked with provocateurs from FBI and other agencies and pulled into violent clashes than other more peaceful marches. And that has been the game plan ever since for the authoritarians. Inject the violence and then the shitty corporate media will fixate on that.

Keep it peaceful and hold other marchers or "marchers" accountable for no peaceful activities.

when the marches started to be multi-generational.

Holly Near (I believe - might have been Ronnie Gilbert or Pete Seeger) wrote a song that includes the phrase, "I met a man named Chester, over 80 was his age . . ." That reference was to Chester Graham's participation in the anti-war movement being indicative of a sea-change.

I "met" Chester more than a decade later. I'd been listening to the song mentioned above since shortly after it was written, and went to church with his daughter, but I wasn't specifically aware of who Chester was - nor did I realize it at the time that Chester was telling a similar story about my grandfather and I marching together in an anti-war march Washington - also calling out the sea-change when it was no longer just the hippies protesting the war - but their parents and grandparents. (Incidentally, this was the same grandfather who invited my father never to return home again when my father became a conscientious objector.)

While I agree with the earlier response that we should mostly stay out of the young folks' way - success will only come when the drive for change is multi-(generational, racial, class, party affiliation, etc.) So efforts should be made to ensure participation by the full range of people who support meaningful change in gun control laws.

It seems they would be organizing in massive numbers too.

Vietnam was a lot more college student directed. Perhaps the difference is that the draft more directly impacted college students - and (so far) the school shootings have (generally) more directly impacted high school students - certainly the immediate impetus is an even that impacted high school students more directly.

Back in the 60's all of us had parents who lived through WWII and almost everyone I knew had pictures of Eisenhower on their walls.

Vietnam was different, though, and we weren't saving the world, or much of anything else. Some of us objected to being drafted, and some of us objected to being drafted for this particular war.

With everything else going on, peace marches had to go crazy to get attention away from civil rights work, pollution concerns, and everything else pople were upset about. And crazy we went.

This time, there's not much else happening compared to back then, and the marchers can't possibly be seen as lazy, cowardly freeloaders the way we were often portrayed back then. There is absolutely no way anyone can argue against their pleas to stop the killing without looking like a complete tool.

Having said all that, the marching is the least of what you have to do. I went to the huge Saturday Washington march before Gulf II with a bunch of hippies and protestors from the good old days and by Monday it was forgotten. Hundreds of thousands clogging the streets, and nothing happened.

There's a reason they like protests on Saturday.

So...

All, or at least most, of the other comments in this thread are on the right track. I'll just add a few thoughts.

Above all, keep focused and don't lose the message: "Stop the killing"

Keep taking the high road and don't fall for false arguments and other organizations trying to steal your thunder.

DO NOT under any circumstances think that by marching you have done your job. You need to keep the pressure up and stay on message. The demonstrations didn't get us out of Vietnam, or bring equal rights for black Americans-- the demonstrations simply brought the problems to the fore and it took a lot longer for it all to sink in and get anything done.

the opposite of "laser focus" is dozens of signs and chants spouting many different unrelated causes at a march about gun control and school safety.

Some of their replies were that they welcome advice from adults and especially the Resistance groups that are already well established. They still have lives and school work and can't do much activism but they plan on continuing with no end in sight. They also said they are young and have a lot of energy going for them. Their generation is tech savvy and they will use social networking better than any other group up to this point. They will be around for a while and if we assist them and train them then they will be able to use that info and our experience and get stronger.

Support them by marching with them, writing and calling your govt reps. Donate money to groups that support them. All of this will benefit everyone.
I have been getting a lot of mail from my liberal groups and this last item I received sums up the events pretty well.
I posted this a few weeks ago and I added more info since. There is info about legislation and how everyone can make changes.

"Enough Prayers. It's Time to Vote.
If you are sick and tired of the endless mass shootings that haven been happening in our country, there actually is something you can do about it. The reason that no gun laws change despite literally hundreds of school shootings, is that the NRA is lining the pockets of many of our representatives. If we want to see gun laws change, we must vote them out of office.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/15/us/school-shootings-sandy-hook-parkland.html

If you are repped by one of the GOP Senators or Congresspeople on this list, contact them today to tell them you will vote them out of office if they continue to take campaign donations or support of any kind from the NRA. And in the next election, do just that. You can also contact your reps to demand action against gun violence.
http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/IAE/ni0YAA/t.2f5/f6fgQfzLRRaZOJ3ZpqWnIg/h7/cNnQNjdq5RU-2BioWHJJg1n91pNuPq76-2FWmzQS9hwIfrtkfz94lXGzc-2B-2FkNRgWDuVUPKM5izZalqmeGFVMxEwaIb0UXAFUDj1Q68ZvTnStHcLK-2FcH-2FHH7UoaK9YZ7PiZa4AvN4r7qvhXFskdpKos1JLlPnFW6HMu9aKu3Bf9jibGe3-2Bm3kOUpaYkN7S703peb7ku4-2BBPAF4AMcslaSvpMhO-2BE3CO-2B8ZPEryIDXR90xqYYkWBQHH2xSRV54Vy-2B-2Frr2mx-2BUANvq8MZLOJzmlx9xkCGDg-2FbxvZ6appWhbu351Uf8-3D
http://click.actionnetwork.org/mpss/c/IAE/ni0YAA/t.2f5/f6fgQfzLRRaZOJ3ZpqWnIg/h8/nkWWe9SXDg5hULXCIN66G7dmrVfagKkBjWiNM0eIfSarMS7x9sCoSGsvGWk2keneX9-2FWYXrLv3cWmNodexjMPuexdN3Cn-2FG30S3DnrmQ-2BYxwcI5QYqJNLuKjDZCh6XO23uzReDqwddJ9uH4orsXKvNIAt7QebwQjdfMYBQFToKo0R6Fd6ppQV54NQkMwhiLHAZGjWDF-2B7rXj-2BZt3whHFWCOZpm-2BCQDJfwcBWiA-2BhLWy5TxTbBereKgS-2FICM7V093DsIybSn4yXj5hfwgcu4sCJn6Z-2FU7FnF1DaQjGELhG2Q-3D
https://resist.bot/ "

There are several dates and groups that have been planning rallies, Walkouts, etc. Here is some info.
This is from a local San Diego paper but it has info that is for the entire country.
Please share this. THANKS! RESIST!
https://sandiegofreepress.org/2018/02/a-spring-of-student-protest-aimed-at-gun-violence/

I cut, pasted and put this info. in a word document for my reference (the politicians with the amount of donations from the NRA - John McCain at the top of the list -supposedly most of it for his 2008 Presidential campaign).

I don't use Twitter or Facebook so I am limited. I just read an article on the DU homepage at the bottom under "Latest Breaking News" that says that the event on March 24 (March For Our Lives) in DC at the Mall, which expected 500,000 people to attend, got bumped by a talent show and they are looking for nearby locations for that many people to gather. I wonder if celebreties like Oprah has any influence in getting a new location. They have 3 weeks to get a new space.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142001856

Find or found groups to physically meet up with on an ongoing basis. Don't stay isolated as an individual or interact with others online only. The tangible sense of a core support group keeps the action fuse lit - people fire each other up, and carry each other through depressed low energy phases. Make plans to regularly be a physical presence as a group locally - even if only a few of you participate in any one specific action. That amplifies the effects of the national protests (people see you as part of something bigger AND see the national actions as having local ramifications) and provides you with ongoing recruitment opportunities.

all superior to being stuck in a paralysis online only. Online stuff is great for organizing, communicating, etc. But that's only part of the action.

Register seniors old enough to vote. Remind those students and teachers to vote in the school morning announcements every day for a week before the election. Put voting reminders in college newspapers. Many of your parents do not vote. Have a get out the parent vote drive. Best of luck to you all. I'm with you.

I cannot believe some little shitty talent show is taking precedence over the large rally. It would be great if enterprising people found out which educational institution is doing this so the March For Our lives people could try to convince them to change their venue or date.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/march-for-our-lives-rally-bumped-from-national-mall-by-talent-show

I can't imagine 500,000 people without the mall. I went to the women's march and they had us penned up so tightly for a while that people started passing out.

The movement seems to be happening and the march is a part of it. We just need to stay involved. The movement won't be carried by high schoolers. It will be interesting to see who rallies them after they have rallied us.

like an adrenaline response. It has to be a singular purpose aided and abetted by other adults. I do like that the corporations are in a frenzy to separate anything to do with NRA.

If they can continue to boldly speak truth to power and call it like it is, this could mutate into GOP feeling THEY need to separate from the NRA to be politically viable.

to the FBI, CIA Justice Dept filming protesters.

And NEVER let it turn into violence

Watch your brisket.

Always look for an fast exit route, a busy store, a side street, any way to escape if necessary. Stay close to your friends if possible, but plan for a meet point to reconnect if separated. Have money for an alternative way to get home, and don't keep all your money or a credit card in the same place. Be prepared and bring everything you need,buy a cheap pay as go phone, include some first aid stuff, food/water, and don't bring anything you don't want to lose.

that was set up (a couple of weeks ago) by one of the students who's taking charge (I think it was Cameron). I've signed up for the Sister March here in L.A. on the 24th (along with some of me friends). IMHO, we need to have NUMBERS! And, it'd be great if we had ALL ages...even youngsters as young as 5 (who can be the faces representing Sandy Hook).

On GoFundMe. And who knows how many more millions in publicly communicated and private individuals via other channels.

Rally, protest, get millions involved !!!

No matter what.

Don't ask why or how I know, just do it.