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'We have to stay engaged.' IU students return from Washington, D.C. march

Posted at 7:14 AM, Mar 27, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-27 07:14:49-04

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Two Indiana University students, both politically active locally, decided to take a stand nationally and participate in the Washington, D.C. "March For Our Lives." 

To get to the march, IU students Luke Robbins and Alexis Johnson hopped in a car with friends and drove to the nation's capitol. 

"On the way out, we were thinking, 'Wow, this is amazing, we're going to join other people,'" Robbins said. "But at the same time we were thinking that it's honestly absurd that we even have to do this, but we knew it was necessary."

They said it was a powerful day of unity. The group carried signs and marched through the streets.

"It was really cool to be like in that space among all those people," Johnson said.

Robbins and Johnson said they wanted to send a message. 

"We just need to hold our politicians more accountable and make sure that they keep these issues in mind," Johnson said. "And if they don't, then obviously we will vote them out."

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They hope the grassroots student movement moves lawmakers to make a change. It certainly moved them to tears and a wide range of emotions. 

"I went from feeling optimistic and excited to feeling sad then to angry," Robbins said. "Then by the end of the thing I was feeling inspired to keep fighting forward and keep marching onward."

They say the "Enough is Enough" rally is far from over. The push is now toward the ballot box. 

"My thing following this is that we have to stay active and we have to stay engaged," Robbins said. "I feel like this happens way to often, and people forget about it, but i think this time is different. I think people are going to keep it going."

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