Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Uvalde families gather at Texas Capitol for Day of the Dead

Families of some of the 19 children killed in the Uvalde school massacre commemorated the Day of Dead with a rally, procession and decorated altar outside the Texas Capitol on Tuesday night

Acacia Coronado
Wednesday 02 November 2022 01:09 GMT

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Families of some of the 19 children killed in the Uvalde school massacre commemorated the Day of Dead with a rally, procession and a decorated altar outside the Texas Capitol on Tuesday night.

Relatives, who marched to the mansion of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott carrying the altar, chose the location to again demand tougher gun laws in Texas following the May shooting at Robb Elementary School. They have been most vocal about raising the age to purchase AR-15-style rifles from 18 to 21. Abbott, who is up for reelection, has pushed back on that, saying it would be “unconstitutional.”

“We are here today celebrating our children's lives,” said Kimberly Rubio, whose daughter Lexi Rubio died in the Uvalde shooting, “but also trying to reach out to parents on a personal, on a mom and dad level. Just if you care about your children, protect them, go out to vote for candidates who support sensible gun legislation.”

Day of the Dead — or Dia de los Muertos — is a Mexican and Latino holiday in which people celebrate the lives of deceased loved ones and encourage their souls to visit with them. Nearly three-quarters of the residents of Uvalde are Hispanic.

Abbott is running for a third term against Democrat Beto O'Rourke, who has drawn the support of several Robb Elementary parents but faces an uphill climb in Tuesday's election.

___

For more AP coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting

Follow AP’s coverage of the elections at: https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in