The event is the latest of many nationwide protests put on by Protest Easy Guns, an organization that began as a group of 32 women in Alexandria, Va. who laid down in front of their town hall to express outrage over the tragedy on April 16.

Protest Easy Guns was founded two days after April 16 by Abigail Spangler. Driven by lax gun laws, she began gathering together support for protests across the country.

"Virginia Tech opened my eyes," Spangler said.

According to Spangler, Protest Easy Guns is fighting for stricter gun laws with better background checks and licensing, not to take guns away totally.  

There is a large concentration on the issues surrounding gun show loopholes. In a research study done by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and the Terrance Group, 80 percent of Americans strongly favor mandatory background checks for all people purchasing guns. At a gun show, private vendors can sell guns with no background checks, allowing criminals easy access to guns.

"It's a flea market for guns," Spangler said.

UVa's protest is one of 30 demonstrations in 13 states and the District of Columbia in the months since the tragedy.  Two families directly affected by the events of April 16 will speak at the protest: Andy Goddard, father of survivor Colin Goddard, and Randa Samaha, sister of victim Reema Samaha.

Following the speeches made by the two family members, a triangle will sound, and the 32 protesters dressed in all black, adored with a ribbon in Virginia Tech colors, will lay down one by one. They will remain lying down for three minutes, symbolizing how long it took for the shooter to buy the gun he used on April 16.

Dillon Hauptfuhrer, member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, will lead the protest at UVa today.

"When people are together, their collective voice is louder than just one," Hauptfuhrer said.

Today, another protest will be held at Carleton College in Minnesota at noon, also in honor of the victims of April 16. According to a recent press release, at noon on Saturday, October 20, a protest will be held at the Richmond gun show "to call on state legislators to close the gun show loophole."

"We are mobilizing group after group after group to impact the legislative process," Spangler said.

"We hope that people will be shocked, learn something, and speak up," Hauptfuhrer said. "This problem needs attention."

Protest Easy Guns hopes to raise awareness of lax gun laws, bringing attention not only to Virginia's lack of laws on gun control, but also to the 33 other states that lack these laws as well.

Tina Gehring, mother of Virginia Tech senior Geneva Gehring, who has designed and made 99 percent of the ribbons used in the protests so far, is "desperate for more involvement."

"Virginia Tech students and alumni can help to move and increase the movement," Gehring said.

To become involved, visit Protest Easy Guns on their Web site, protesteasyguns.com or on their Facebook page.

"All students and faculty that

died deserve us, as Americans, to fight back on their behalf," Spangler said.