WASHINGTON, D.C. – Manuel Oliver went to great heights on Monday in an effort to stop gun violence.
Police blocked off 15th Street between H and Pennsylvania Avenue after the Parkland Father climbed a construction tower 150 feet in the air.
Happy valentines pic.twitter.com/Ho6zvjjA7o
— Manuel Oliver (@manueloliver00) February 14, 2022
Once at the top, he flew a banner of his son, Joaquin Oliver, one of the 17 killed in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting at Parkland.
His mother, Patricia, said: “We’ve been doing this for four years, feeling the pain, feeling the absence of him.”
We asked her what she wanted President Joe Biden to do.
“We want President Biden to take action. We want President Biden to really confront this situation.”
The Olivers want Biden to declare a national gun violence emergency, unveil a concrete plan of action for advancing life-saving legislation, establish a White House Office of Gun Violence Protection and nominate a new person to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives.
Parkland Survivor David Hogg said: “That would require no Senate confirmation at all and what we would also like him to do by the State of the Union and create a comprehensive plan to address gun violence in the United States.”
After several hours, Oliver climbed down and was taken into custody by police.
He hopes Monday’s peaceful protest gets him a meeting with President Biden.
Biden issued a statement on behalf of the day of remembrance: “On this difficult day, we mourn with the Parkland families” and “stand with those working to end this epidemic of gun violence.”
Joaquin is sending this message to the President saying that since his administration, we have lost 45,000 people due to gun violence,” Patricia Oliver said.