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Hundreds Of Florida Students March To Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School: 'We Want Change'
First, there was 17 minutes of silence, one minute for each of the victims who died last week.
Hundreds of students from West Boca Raton High School, a school located over 10 miles from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, walked out of class on Tuesday to show solidarity for the victims of last week’s school shooting. During their walkout, the students held 17 minutes of silence in honor of the 17 victims who lost their lives, reported Palm Beach Post.
During the demonstration, students also chanted, "We want change! We want change!"
After about 30 minutes, the principal announced they had to return to class, but only some of the students listened.
According to West Boca High freshman Kendrick Hong, 14, about 1,000 of his classmates left campus and headed to Parkland to protest gun violence. He told Palm Beach Post school security tried to stop them, but it “just turned into a spontaneous demonstration.”
The Miami Herald reported that police from the Broward Sheriff’s Office made sure students were safe on their journey down to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, and volunteers brought water and snacks.
West Boca High sophomore Lauren Smith, 16, said, "Most of us got zeros on quizzes today. I don’t think we should have to do that to make a change, but we do. And it’s important that we do.”
The students from West Boca Raton High weren’t alone in their walkout. Students from Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood McArthur also walked out of their schools. Another area school, Hialeah High, has a walkout planned for Wednesday.
The students' walkout was in response to last week's shooting that took 17 lives and wounded 14 others. Since the attack, many students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have become activists, and several have become outspoken about gun control. Others have lashed out at President Trump for his response on gun violence in schools. They've even organized a march scheduled for March 24.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High junior Cameron Kasky told CNN, "Here's a time to talk about gun control: March 24. My message for the people in office is: You're either with us or against us. We are losing our lives while the adults are playing around."
[Photo: Twitter]
