Residents of Cathedral Village demonstrated for gun control on Saturday, March 24. (Photo by Brendan Sample)

by Brendan Sample

While most of the participants in the March for Our Lives movement were teenagers and young adults, one group of senior citizens in Andorra was determined to make its voices heard in the fight against gun violence.

On Saturday, March 24, more than 100 residents of the Cathedral Village Retirement Community held a demonstration at the intersection of Ridge and Henry Avenues in concurrence with the nationwide protests happening on the same day.

The demonstrators were mostly residents of Cathedral Village, but their protest attracted the attention of some others in the surrounding area. Most notably in attendance was State Rep. Pam DeLissio, of the 194th District. Calling the protest “beyond awesome,” DeLissio also announced that the Pennsylvania House of Representatives will start holding hearings on gun safety legislation from April 9 to April 12. While she called the hearings “unprecedented” in her time as a representative – a position she’s held since 2011 – she also addressed a rumor that only members of the legislature would be able to testify at these hearings, something that she’s hoping will not hold true when they start.

“Given the overwhelming amount of recent campaigning and support that came from Pennsylvania residents, the Judicial Committee had no choice but to schedule these hearings,” DeLissio said. “I don’t sit on the committee myself, but I will sign up to testify if it ends up being only congresspeople that are eligible.”

Around 11 a.m., dozens of residents began to gather outside of Cathedral Village, ready to stand on the sidewalks for at least the next hour in support of March for Our Lives. Though some seniors needed the assistance of canes, walkers and electric scooters to join the demonstration, they made sure that they were all able to participate regardless of any handicaps.

A number of residents held up signs with anti-gun violence messages for passing traffic. Some of the messages included “Protect Our Grandkids, Not Guns,” “A Nana for Gun Safety” and “Schools Need Grandparent Helpers, Not Armed Teachers.” Over the course of the demonstration, many drivers passing by on Ridge Avenue honked in support of the movement.

The demonstration also included organized chanting and singing from the participants throughout the hour. The songs were sung to the tunes of classic gospel songs – “Down by the Riverside,” “We Shall Overcome” and “This Little Light of Mine” – with changed lyrics that reflected the group’s message.

Cathedral Village’s demonstration was one of many held across the country in response to the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Fla., in February that took the lives of 17 people. This particular protest was organized by Indivisible Village, a local activist group that is part of the Indivisible Project, a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to cultivating grassroots advocacy movements.

Indivisible Village is comprised of residents of Cathedral Village who were responsible for organizing the demonstration. One of the organizers was Susan Weston, a member of the Indivisible Village’s steering committee. Weston was part of the planning that began right after Parkland and initially included separate gathering areas for consideration, including a trip to downtown Philadelphia, but she and the other organizers ultimately decided that gathering right in front of Cathedral Village would be the best solution for everyone.

“We started planning this demonstration about six weeks ago, and we initially planned to gather in front of Roxborough High School,” Weston said. “That ended up fizzling out, but everything really fell into place when we decided on this intersection.”

Another group that helped with the planning was Cathedral Village’s Residents’ Association, whose president is Emmy Starr, a former resident of Chestnut Hill for 73 years. While she has not been directly affected by any recent school shootings, she has been able to see how those tragedies have led to changes in schools that her own grandchildren attend.

“I have seven grandchildren that have regular active shooter drills in their schools,” Starr said. “We should never have to feel that something like that is necessary for our children … We shouldn’t have to bow to groups like the NRA, and that’s why we’re out here today.”

For more information on the Indivisible Project, visit www.indivisible.org.