PARKLAND, FLA. (WSVN) - Students in South Florida joined thousands of others across the country in a massive school walkout, exactly one month after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
Participants in what was called “Wednesday Walkout” marched out of their classrooms Wednesday morning and took part in 17-minute demonstrations. Each minute represented one victim of the Feb. 14 mass shooting.
In Parkland, Stoneman Douglas students marched onto the school’s football field.
“They can’t hold us back from making a movement,” said student Caroline Cobb.
“We’ve got to continue to do it until something changes,” said another student.
“I don’t feel safe in school anymore,” said student Elissa Castellanos. “I don’t think a lot of kids feel safe anymore, and they should feel safe.”
The students then made the trek to Pine Trails Park, where a follow-up demonstration was held.
“They played the song that the students wrote for the victims, and then we all went into the middle and had a big group hug,” said Cobb. “Standing on the football field is just going to show we are a united front, but actually walking out shows that we’re going to do something about it, not just mourn the victims.”
Many members of the community, like Shari Parson, came out to support the students.
When asked what she felt upon seeing the students, Parson responded, “Pride, resolve, emotion — a lot of emotion.”
Students at Nova Southeastern High School walked 17 miles to Parkland in support of their peers.
Coral Springs High School also made a national statement.
“Any way we can give this more attention is something good, because this is something that can’t be forgotten,” said student Tyler Odum. “We have to keep putting it out.”
At Cooper City High School, students and faculty set up 14 desks and three podiums in a circle, all meant to honor the 17 victims.
A group of students from Pompano Beach walked all the way to the Broward School Board building in Fort Lauderdale.
“We’re all going to gather here and protest gun violence,” said a participant.
In Pembroke Pines, students at West Broward High School gathered in the courtyard calling for changes in gun laws.
Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie called Wednesday’s walkout “historic.”
“They read a lot about history. Today, our students are making history,” Runcie said.
In Miami-Dade, students at iPrep Academy chanted “no more guns” during their walkout. The students also held a 17-second moment of silence.
“It’s gotten to the point where enough really is enough, and the only ones that are going to change it is us,” said iPrep student Nacey Fernandez.
At Gulliver Academy, students gathered on their football field to form a heart and the letters MSD in honor of the shooting victims.
Additional walkouts also took place at Barbara Goleman High School, Hialeah High School and a host of others, all welcomed by Miami-Dade Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
“Now is the time to have the courage to say, ‘Basta, enough, never again,'” Carvalho said.
While many schools are supporting the walkout, several school districts across the country discouraged it. A school district in Texas told their students that participation in the walkout would get them a three-day suspension.
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