Hundreds of thousands of people gathered across the country on Saturday for March for Our Lives, a series of rallies protesting gun violence in dozens of major cities. Among those marching in support of the cause was Paul McCartney, who shared his thoughts on the issue with CNN’s Jason Caroll while participating in the New York City rally.
“One of my best friends was killed by gun violence right around here, so it’s important to me,” he told the reporter.
McCartney was, of course, referencing his Beatles bandmate John Lennon, who was murdered by a gunman outside New York City’s Dakota Hotel in 1980 (the building is located just a few blocks from where Saturday’s rally took place).
McCartney was one of many musicians and performers who publicly voiced their support for March for Our Lives on Saturday. Common, Ariana Grande, and Miley Cyrus were scheduled to perform at the Washington, DC rally, which reportedly brought around half a million people to the nation’s capitol. Additionally, Taylor Swift revealed that she made a donation to the campaign, while R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe previewed a new song in support of the movement.
[H/T – Variety]