With their hands tied with black fabric and mouths covered with red tape, six students held posters that read, “We stand one day for their every day” and “Gators Against Human Trafficking,” sharing the words they felt but couldn’t say.
Members of Gators Against Human Trafficking marched on the Plaza of the Americas and Turlington Plaza for an hour Tuesday afternoon to advocate against human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
“We’re out here to make a statement, to make people aware of human trafficking and just the fact that slavery still exists in the world,” said Caitlyn Burnitis, a GAHT member and UF telecommunication sophomore. “It’s a problem that needs to be solved.”
Human traffickers are estimated to exploit 20.9 million victims, with an estimated 1.5 million victims in North America, according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center website.
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which people use force, fraud or coercion to control victims to engage in commercial sex acts or labor services against his or her will, according to the website.
Burnitis, 19, said the organization hoped to make people aware that slavery still exists and to fundraise for organizations that work to combat slavery.
Jonathan Batista, a UF fifth-year chemical engineering student, has been involved with the fight for two years. He said he hoped people would see their signs and want to learn more about the issue.
“It’s not something where you have to go out and fight slavery,” Batista, 23, said.
He added there are many different ways of fighting it.
He said he recommends individuals research the products they buy to make sure they come from free-trade companies.
“It’s a very daunting task to fight modern-day slavery,” Batista said. “It’s going to take a long time, and the more people that are willing to fight for it, the more likely it’s going to happen.”
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 4/8/2015 under the headline “Students march to stop trafficking”]
Trish Kearney, a 43-year-old UF health education and behavior junior, and Jonathan Batista, a 23-year-old UF chemical engineering senior, stand on Plaza of the Americas on Tuesday. They and four other students marched between there and Turlington Plaza with their mouths taped and hands tied to highlight human trafficking.
