The national #SaveTheChildren campaign made its way to Redding
REDDING, Calif. — The national Save the Children campaign made its way to Redding, Saturday.
Roughly 60 protesters showed up at the entrance of the Turtle Bay Exploration Park for the start of the event.
Protesters tell our reporter Daisy Caballero this issue needs a better spotlight as the child sex trafficking epidemic is something we’re facing nationwide.
According to the international sex trafficking child advocacy group, End Child Prostitution and Trafficking, also known as ECPAT - roughly 8 million children are being sex trafficked every year.
Protesters are hoping to be the ones to bring awareness and help change that statistic.
“ We’re mad [and] tired of people looking the other way,” said Kayla Gitchel, one of the four organizers for the protest. “This has been brushed under the rug for way too long. We’re here to make some noise. We’re here to make people notice. Because it’s about time we stand up and do something for our children.”
People of all ages and walks of life were there - including parents with their kids.
Parents say they’re fighting for the voiceless children being trafficked because this could very well be happening to any child.
“It could be anybody’s child,” said Amiee Tara, a mother and organizer at the protest. “It could be mine, it could be my best friend’s. It could be anybody's child that ends up abused or sex trafficked and we need to make it known and we need to fight for them.”
The worldwide Save the Children protest is planned for August, 29.
The organizers for today’s event say they’re looking into planning another local protest on the 29th.
