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Young Alexandria Kids Organize Walkouts Against Gun Violence
Young Alexandria Kids Organize Walkouts Against Gun Violence
11-year-old students organized the protest at one Alexandria elementary school.
By Emily Leayman, Patch Staff | Mar 14, 2018 11:42 am ET | Updated Mar 14, 2018 11:44 am ET
One month after 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students are walking out of classes Wednesday, March 14 to remember the victims and call for stronger gun laws. Along with high school students at T.C. Williams, younger children from Alexandria elementary schools were among those participating in the protests.
The protests began at 10 a.m. and lasted 17 minutes in honor of the Parkland victims as part of the National School Walkout day. Students are demanding that Congress ban so-called assault weapons and high capacity magazines, require background checks for all gun sales, pass a firearms restraining order law, promote secure gun storage and fund research on gun violence.
Alexandria City Public Schools allowed students to participate in protests with designated spaces while continuing classes for students choosing not to walk out. "ACPS is committed to providing an inclusive, safe, caring and challenging learning environment for all students," ACPS said in a message to families ahead of the walk outs. Legally, schools can only discipline students for walking out of schools if students disrupt classroom instruction, according to the ACLU of Virginia.
Among the protests was one organized by 11-year-old students at George Mason Elementary School, The Guardian's Lois Beckett reported via Twitter. Over 60 students gathered outside the school with handmade signs reading "Never Again" and "17 Is Too Many." as a crowd of parents looked on. At one point, they lay in the grass holding up their signs in complete silence. ... "Some parents have felt that we're not old enough to know about it," Carter, one of the 11-year-old organizers, told Beckett. "Like they think because we're 5th graders we don't know anything about what's happening."
11-year-old students organized the protest at one Alexandria elementary school.
By Emily Leayman, Patch Staff | Mar 14, 2018 11:42 am ET | Updated Mar 14, 2018 11:44 am ET
One month after 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students are walking out of classes Wednesday, March 14 to remember the victims and call for stronger gun laws. Along with high school students at T.C. Williams, younger children from Alexandria elementary schools were among those participating in the protests.
The protests began at 10 a.m. and lasted 17 minutes in honor of the Parkland victims as part of the National School Walkout day. Students are demanding that Congress ban so-called assault weapons and high capacity magazines, require background checks for all gun sales, pass a firearms restraining order law, promote secure gun storage and fund research on gun violence.
Alexandria City Public Schools allowed students to participate in protests with designated spaces while continuing classes for students choosing not to walk out. "ACPS is committed to providing an inclusive, safe, caring and challenging learning environment for all students," ACPS said in a message to families ahead of the walk outs. Legally, schools can only discipline students for walking out of schools if students disrupt classroom instruction, according to the ACLU of Virginia.
Among the protests was one organized by 11-year-old students at George Mason Elementary School, The Guardian's Lois Beckett reported via Twitter. Over 60 students gathered outside the school with handmade signs reading "Never Again" and "17 Is Too Many." as a crowd of parents looked on. At one point, they lay in the grass holding up their signs in complete silence. ... "Some parents have felt that we're not old enough to know about it," Carter, one of the 11-year-old organizers, told Beckett. "Like they think because we're 5th graders we don't know anything about what's happening."
Link to tweet
Whatever we’re calling the post-2000 generation (Z? Post-Millennials?), they’re pretty impressive.
Link to tweet
Covering a walkout this morning at an elementary school in Virginia, and the 11-year-old organizers had a press packet ready for me.
Link to tweet
2 replies
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Local students participate in National Walkout Day
March 14, 2018
Students at George Mason Elementary School participate in a National Walkout Day protest on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 (Photo Credit: Kitty Porterfield)
By Alexa Epitropoulos | aepitropoulos@alextimes.com
Fifth grade students at George Mason Elementary School participated in the National Walkout Day protest against gun violence at 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
The students joined fellow elementary, middle and high school students, as well as college students, across the country, in lying on the ground for 18 minutes, commemorating the 17 high school students killed in Parkland, Florida and an additional student who was killed in a school shooting in Birmingham, Alabama.
The protest was organized by students at the school, though parents still had to sign their children out of school. Parents, city officials and members of the media watched as the students lay on the ground in silence.
March 14, 2018
Students at George Mason Elementary School participate in a National Walkout Day protest on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 (Photo Credit: Kitty Porterfield)
By Alexa Epitropoulos | aepitropoulos@alextimes.com
Fifth grade students at George Mason Elementary School participated in the National Walkout Day protest against gun violence at 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
The students joined fellow elementary, middle and high school students, as well as college students, across the country, in lying on the ground for 18 minutes, commemorating the 17 high school students killed in Parkland, Florida and an additional student who was killed in a school shooting in Birmingham, Alabama.
The protest was organized by students at the school, though parents still had to sign their children out of school. Parents, city officials and members of the media watched as the students lay on the ground in silence.