Sam Hinkes laid down for 17 minutes in the grass of Plaza of the Americas holding up an orange sign that read “MSD Strong.”
Remembering his town of Coral Springs, neighbor to Parkland, the 22-year-old UF psychology senior said he wanted to channel his emotions after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School resulted in the deaths of 14 high schoolers and three faculty members. He wanted to take action. They spent 17 minutes lying down to honor the victims.
“I went home and saw flowers and how this shattered the community, and it hurt,” he said. “But I’m channeling that hurt into trying to make a difference.”
Hinkes was one of a handful of people who participated in Indivisible UF’s lie-down protest at 10 a.m. Wednesday to draw awareness to the shooting and the need for gun reform. Indivisible UF is a political advocacy and activism group, said Sophia Eikemberry, co-founder and vice president of Indivisible UF.
Eikemberry said she created the protest because she wanted to make a statement at UF.
Those walking by the protest would give odd looks or stop to ask questions on gun control.
Calissa McCue, a 23-year-old UF history junior, walked by the protest on the way to get food before class. She said she did not think the display would make much of an impact on the overall issue.
“It doesn’t seem that big,” she said. “The D.C. shoes protest that happened recently was shocking and brought lots of attention,” she said of the recent protest at the Capitol where people left thousands of shoes to represent child victims of gun violence since 2012. “A few people lying on the grass compared to that doesn’t do much.”
Hinkes said he urges students to not let the momentum started by the students in Parkland slide.
“Not only is UF or the state of Florida listening,” he said, “but the world is listening. If something compels you to get up in the morning to do something like this, get up and be loud.”
Students lie on the grass at Plaza of the Americas holding signs as a part of Indivisible UF's lie-down protest Wednesday morning.
