George and Amal Clooney are showing their support for the March for Our Lives demonstration after the recent school shooting in Parkland, Florida.
“Amal and I are so inspired by the courage and eloquence of these young men and women from Stoneman Douglas High School,” the couple tell Us Weekly in a statement. “Our family will be there on March 24 to stand side by side with this incredible generation of young people from all over the country, and in the name of our children Ella and Alexander, we’re donating 500,000 dollars to help pay for this groundbreaking event. Our children’s lives depend on it.”
March for Our Lives is a movement created and led by students across the U.S. to demand action on gun control. The group will take to the streets of Washington, D.C., on March 24. “Every kid in this country now goes to school wondering if this day might be their last. We live in fear,” reads the mission statement on the movement’s website. “It doesn’t have to be this way. Change is coming. And it starts now, inspired by and led by the kids who are our hope for the future. Their young voices will be heard.”
As previously reported, former student Nikolas Cruz was arrested and charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder after police said he opened fire with an AR-15 rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, killing 17 students and teachers and injuring 14 others.
The 19-year-old’s attorney Melissa McNeill said she plans to seek a plea deal, with Cruz agreeing to plead guilty to the 17 counts if prosecutors do not seek the death penalty.