Parkland Victim's Parents Launch Lawsuit, Media Campaign to Combat Gun Violence

Manny and Patricia Oliver, whose son Joaquin was killed five years ago during a mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., are stepping up their battle against firearms violence. And this time, they’re fighting on two fronts.

The Olivers, who lead advocacy group Change the Ref, have teamed up with Zulu Alpha Kilo New York and nonprofit Global Action on Gun Violence to file a lawsuit against the U.S. government.

Their suit, Joaquin Oliver v. USA, maintains that the nation’s gun policies violate basic human freedoms. The filing seeks a ruling to that effect from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

There’s also a 90-second video, “The Lawsuit for Survival,” directed by Nadav Kander of Chelsea Pictures. Survivors discuss their desire to love their lives without the fear of gunfire at schools, nightclubs or bowling alleys. An impassioned plea from the Olivers comes at the end.

“The work our industry does around gun violence keeps morale high amongst activists, vindicates those on the front lines of this struggle, and dedicates more people and their time and money to this important cause,” say Vic Bath and Dan Cummings, creative directors at ZAK.

“But what Manny and Patricia Oliver, along with GAGV, are doing with the Lawsuit for Survival marks a significant pivot from communications alone into legal action and that feels like a profound shift,” the say. “With this initiative, we saw our task as making sure that the notion of ‘the right to live’ was communicated in a way that’s emotional, undeniable and keeps the focus on the lawsuit itself.”