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Stand your ground: 'No progress without struggle'

The Dream Defenders are gaining ground in their protest of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Law. After camping out for 19 days in front of Florida’s Capitol

The Dream Defenders are gaining ground in their protest of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Law. After camping out for 19 days in front of Florida’s Capitol building, Florida’s House Speaker Will Weatherford said he will order hearings on the controversial law that allows citizens to use lethal force in the name of self-defense.

Executive Director of the Dream Defenders, Phillip Agnew, called the progress a “small victory,” but said on Saturday he understands affecting change is a “marathon and not a sprint.”  He added, “A few of us were joking that we’d love to see what 30, 40 days looks like.”

“We’ve got a few more issues that we’ve got to discuss. We came here presenting a total package for our lawmakers.”

The Dream Defenders are not solely working to change the “Stand Your Ground” law, Agnew said. They are also fighting for young people’s voices to be heard and have influence in the policies that impact their lives including racial profiling and the school-to-prison pipeline.

Going forward the strategy for the Dream Defenders is to engage in “a substantive debate” with lawmakers. “We know that there is a lot more work to do.”