Eliot Engel in the heart of Parkland

In a week filled with protests and speeches pushing for more gun control, U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel took his fight to ban assault weapons straight to Florida.

Last week, Engel traveled to Parkland, the site of the Feb. 14 school shooting that killed 17 people, to stand in solidarity with students taking part in the “March for Our Lives” protest. 

There, students delivered speeches and carried signs that questioned the National Rifle Association and Congress for their role — or lack thereof — when it comes to gun violence in schools.

“The example these young men and women have shown has been extraordinary and truly inspirational,” Engel said, in a release. “I traveled to Parkland to stand with the community, and to let them know that whether it is a school in Florida, a neighborhood in the Bronx or a town in Westchester, everyone is in this together.”

Various signs at the protest touched on parent fears of sending their children to school. Those thoughts were expressed in bold letters through statements like “The NRA might own the world, but they don’t own us.”