Rev. Bernice King, CEO of the King Center and daughter of slain civil rights legend Martin Luther King Jr., called for gun violence walkouts to be permanent until comprehensive gun control legislation is passed. 

Reflecting on the deadly school shooting in Nashville, Tenn., last month — the same state King’s father was assassinated in — King applauded students for walking out of schools to protest gun violence.

“This issue that they’re standing tall in is well past being addressed,” King said. “It should not have to take this kind of effort, but we’re living in times where what my father did, which was to really sacrifice their very lives, sacrifice their job, sacrifice their home, sacrifice everything — we’re right back at that place.”

Nashville-area students walked out of their classes on Monday in the wake of a shooting at a local private elementary school that left three students and three staff members dead.

Young people, King said, have everything to gain from taking a stand. 

“The only thing that I wish, and I’ve said this before across the nation as I’ve talked to different audiences, I wish there was a way to really organize them in a way that their walkout is not a day, but it’s the Montgomery bus protests, that we refuse to return to school until there is some significant legislation that bans assault weapons,” King said, referring to one of the civil rights protests that saw Black Americans refuse to ride city buses in Alabama until segregated seating was eradicated. 

“My father was assassinated with a rifle that would be the equivalent of what we call assault weapons today, and 55 years later we’re just increasing the access to these instruments,” King added.

King’s father was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., 55 years ago Tuesday as he stood on the balcony of his hotel room. Martin Luther King Jr. was known for peaceful protests in the fight for equality. 

King said she understands that people might find other ways to inflict violence “if the impulse is there,” but added that society hasn’t taken the steps to address economic conditions that make people vulnerable to gun violence. 

“The issue is, these are deadly instruments, and we should not have them in society,” King said. “What we need to do is develop the capacity to love each other, to be compassionate, to create just and equitable circumstances in this world.”