Student Walkout Taps Well of Anger, Mourning Over Gun Violence
March 14, 2018
By: Mark Walsh
Source: Education Week
In the most dramatic display of civic activism by American students in recent memory, tens of thousands walked out of their high schools Wednesday and took part in somber, politically charged demonstrations marking the Feb. 14 shooting that killed 17 educators and students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
Some events were solemn and at times silent remembrances of the lives lost, while at other demonstrations participants demanded stricter gun control measures and vowed repercussions for elected leaders who failed to heed the call.
Organizers hoped the nationwide walkout—which appeared to be orderly and peaceful, despite concerns about the potential for disruption—would be a powerful spark to a broader youth-led movement around stemming gun violence.
At Stoneman Douglas High, students gathered on the school football field for 17 minutes before moving to a nearby public park.