Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School students walked out of their classes to protest gun violence on Wednesday, one month after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. that killed 17 people.
Students wearing orange shirts that read “#enough” gathered at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes to honor the victims of the shooting. Walkout organizers read the names and stories of each victim and observed a moment of silence. Students at every CHCCS high school participated in the walkout.
“I need to feel safe in my own school,” Chapel Hill High School first-year Isabel Sharp said. “I think that the walkout was an effective demonstration of how we need stricter gun laws.”
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro walkout was one of many protests across the country as part of the national school walkout organized by the Women’s March Youth #EMPOWER.
Though teachers and school staff were at the protest, they didn’t stop students from walking out. Chapel Hill-Carrboro Students Against Gun Violence, a student-led group, worked with administrators and town police departments to plan an event that was both safe and student directed.
“We saw this as an opportunity for student voice, and part of our role as public educators is to help students become a part of society and to be productive and involved citizens,” CHCCS Superintendent Pamela Baldwin said. “Student voice is something that we value in our district.”
Schools had an increased police presence before and during the walkout.
“We even had some of our fire departments out as well, really to show support for our students, but also to ensure their safety,” said Baldwin.
Students that chose not to participate remained with teachers inside.
