Local "March for Our Lives" rallies planned for Saturday

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Thousands of students across North Texas and the country plan to march this weekend in rallies calling for gun reform.

The rallies are in response to the deadly shooting at a Parkland, Fla. high school in February. Social media helped fuel the movement and connect students from different schools all over the nation.

The big “March for Our Lives” rally in Washington D.C. is expected to be the largest in Washington since last year’s massive women’s march.

Students say the rallies are about enacting comprehensive gun reform at the national and state level and making sure people who are a danger to themselves and other people do not have access to automatic weapons.

“Gun violence is something that impacts our lives and we’re no longer going to wait for adults to take action on it,” said Rhiannon Rasaretnam, a senior at Tahoma High School.

“The adults have had their chance. They’ve had so many chances to make the change that we need and they’re not doing it,” added Emilia Allard, a senior at Ballard High School.

The students at Townview Magnet Center in Dallas staged a walkout Friday morning for a similar cause. They gathered for 17 minutes and held up signs with phrases like “Stop Killing Our Future.”

Organizers know changing minds in North Texas will be no easy task, but many who just started voting, or soon will, aren't backing down.

“If they don't stand with us, then come the November midterms,” said Waed Alhayek, the organizer of the Dallas March for our Lives. “We're going to have to kick them out if they don't support us or our policies.”

There will still be many who don't agree with them. Some believe there are many better options to keep schools safe.

March organizers expect counter-protesters. For that, security will be on hand to keep a watchful eye. But they hope their message will stop the norm of school violence.

Multiple “March for Our Lives” events are planned in the DFW area on Saturday.

The Dallas march begins at 1 p.m. at Dallas City Hall where organizers say at least 3,000 students are expected.

The Fort Worth march starts at 10 a.m. at the Tarrant County Courthouse.

In Denton, the march will start at 4 p.m. at the courthouse square. The event in McKinney is at 10 a.m. at the Collin County Courthouse.

For more information or to search for events near you, visit http://event.marchforourlives.com/event/march-our-lives-events/search/.