MADISON, Wis. — Hundreds rallied at the Wisconsin State Capitol Saturday pushing for stronger gun laws. 

There were March For Our Lives events planned all over the country Saturday, including multiple in Wisconsin. The movement has been re-invigorated by the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which left 21 people dead, including 19 children. 

“Every single time that a mass shooting happens, especially at a school, coming back the next day is pretty traumatizing for me,” said Sara Dickfoss, who just graduated from Badger High School in Lake Geneva. “We’ve had a couple scares at my own school.” 

A common thread among the protesters: They said they’re tired of hearing the phrase “thoughts and prayers” after mass shootings. 

Siena Perna is a former organizer for March For Our Lives Wisconsin. 

“It breaks my heart to see that we still have to be here. It’s really sad,” Perna said. “But I’m so joyful to see that the work is continuing, and to see more and more folks in high school in Wisconsin coming out. This is our time to act.” 

The protesters called for measures like bans on semi-automatic guns, raising the age limit, requiring safe storage practices, red flag laws and universal background checks. 

Kristen Radley’s 5-year-old daughter is headed to kindergarten in the fall. Radley is scared to send her to class. 

“I never dreamed that I would worry to send her to school,” Radley said. “I never thought that that would be a problem, but it is. And so here we are.” 

She said she wants to see stronger restrictions across the board. 

“These semi-automatic weapons, there need to be background checks and age restrictions,” Radley said. “They’re not regulated enough. This has to stop. The violence has to stop.”

Especially for students who have grown up doing active shooter drills in their schools, protestors said they want to see substantive change. 

“I was in fourth grade for Sandy Hook, and now I’m in college and I’m seeing seeing a similar situation play out,” said Perna. “It’s so traumatic to see that these young kids are going to have this carried with them for the rest of their lives. And to hear the stories from the students inside the classrooms, it just broke my heart.” 

There were also marches in Milwaukee and Green Bay, among other Wisconsin cities.