On March 24, the four-year anniversary of their first protest in Washington D.C., the organizers of March for Our Lives returned to the U.S. Capitol Building to make a statement about the futility of “thoughts and prayers.” 

The anti-gun violence nonprofit founded by survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School masscare laid out scores of body bags on the National Mall to underscore the idea that “nothing has changed.” 

4 years since we marched in DC and around the world to end gun violence. 4 years of #ThoughtsAndPrayers. 4 years of broken promises. 4 years without ANY federal action on guns.

We've asked for the bare minimum. Now we're sending Congress a message they can't ignore. pic.twitter.com/fs9dOq5wSb

— March For Our Lives (@AMarch4OurLives) March 24, 2022

The stunt appeared on social media and was also captured in a film the organization shared last month just as Congress came back in session. “Since then, we’ve seen 170,000 more lives lost to gun violence—and this is your response?” the narrator questions as we see body bags spelling out “thoughts and prayers” on the vast lawn.

Today, the video resurfaces, but updated with more heartbreaking statistics from this week’s tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. 

Copy at the end of the spot reads, “In the 62 days since these body bags were laid in front of the Capitol, 1 person was shot dead and 4 critically wounded in Laguna Woods, CA. 11 people were shot dead in Buffalo, N.Y. 21 people were shot dead in Uvalde, Texas. Including 19 children.”

It ends with a plea to senators: “Vote on background checks now. So we can all see exactly where you stand.”

March for Our Lives created the campaign with McCann New York, production company M ss ng P eces and director JJ Augustavo. The organization will be marching again this year in Washington D.C.  on June 11.