On Tuesday, March 13th, seven thousand pairs of children’s shoes were laid out on the southeast lawn of the U.S Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Each shoe was in memory of a child who has died due to gun violence since the shooting at Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012.
The display, named “Monument for our Kids”, Â was organized by Avaaz, a global advocacy organization. Oscar Soria, a senior campaigner with Avaaz, says the purpose of the peaceful protest was to bring congress “face to face with the heartbreak of gun violence”.
The shoes, spanning over 10,000 feet, were collected over a two-week period, and also included donations from families who lost children due to gun violence. When shoes were removed from the lawn at 2pm on Tuesday, and will be donated to charity.