Today marked the second anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, where 49 people lost their lives. In memory of the victims, “die-in” demonstrations took place in cities across the country, including Washington, DC; Des Moines, Iowa; Las Vegas; and Los Angeles, with support from a number of organizations including the Women’s March Foundation and March for Our Lives, the organization born out of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
In Los Angeles, the demonstration was spearheaded by two young women, Oona Wuolijoki, 20, and Eve Levenson, 18, who previously worked with the founders of March for Our Lives Los Angeles and Students Next Up. Participants were asked to drop to the ground for 12 minutes (or 720 seconds) to represent “the number of lives lost due to mass shootings since the Pulse nightclub massacre.” According to the event's Facebook page, “the bodies of the protesters serve as a physical reminder of the cost of the politicians’ inaction.”
“We wanted to call out the inaction of policymakers,” Levenson said. “Specifically those who prioritize donations from the NRA over the lives of their constituents.”
Photographer Kyle Grillot spent the day with the two organizers to capture how the event unfolded.