Students protest gun violence in national school walkout

WASHINGTON—Thousands of high school students across the country stood up in classrooms and walked out of school on Wednesday as part of a nationwide demonstration in opposition to gun violence. The effort comes exactly one month after a 19-year-old opened fire on a high school in Parkland, Fla., killing 17 people and injuring dozens more. The first large wave of students began to exit classrooms at 10 a.m. Eastern time. Other students across the country planned to walk out at 10 a.m. in their local time zones. Some school districts are welcoming the walkouts, while others have threatened disciplinary action. The protests are not limited to school grounds. Hundreds of high school students gathered in front of the White House on Wednesday morning chanting, “Enough is enough,” and then sitting in silence to remember students lost in school shootings. Congress is considering a number of proposals to address the issue. The House is expected to vote later Wednesday on a bipartisan bill to increase funding for schools, increase training for officials, and better address students suffering with mental illness. If passed, that bill would need approval from the Senate. President Donald Trump submitted an idea this week to arm more school staff with concealed weapons and commissioned a panel to study other gun policies like raising the minimum age to buy rifles from 18 to 21. On Saturday, March 24, students across the country plan to march in Washington and other cities for the “March for Our Lives” to drum up more awareness and urge lawmakers to act.