Thousands of students across the nation walked out of classrooms and into a political firestorm Wednesday, marking one month since the bloody rampage at a Florida high school shocked the world and fueled their dynamic movement demanding an end to gun violence.
Students from about 2,800 schools marked National Walkout Day, many by leaving their classrooms at 10 a.m. to show solidarity for the 17 killed in the attack Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
In Parkland, students gathered on the football field, embraced and chanted, "MSD!" and "We want change!" Rejecting requests from administrators to return to classes, they joined students from a nearby middle school to walk 2 miles to memorials set up for the victims.
"To the parents supporting their children walking out, thank you for raising this new generation of leaders," tweeted Stoneman Douglas student Cameron Kasky. "To the parents who didn’t support their children who walked out anyway, thank you for raising this new generation of leaders."
At Columbine High School south of Denver, hundreds of students solemnly filed onto the soccer field for a short rally. They released balloons to memorialize the Parkland victims, along with the 13 people killed at their own school 19 years ago.
“We should never go to school in fear of our lives,” said sophomore Leah Zundel, 15, as her voice broke. “Enough is enough.”
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