Hundreds of students in the D.C. area are expected to walk out of class Wednesday to call for a change to gun legislation. They say something has to be done after 17 people were killed at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida.
“Enough is enough,” wrote Daniel Gelillo in a news release.
Students from Richard Montgomery, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Blair and other Maryland and D.C. schools are planning to participate in Wednesday’s protest.
The plan is for them to walk out of class at 9:30 a.m. and take the Metro to Union Station, where they’ll then march to the Capitol for a rally.
“After the Parkland, Florida shooting, we students can no longer stay silent on the issue of gun violence in the United States,” Gelillo said. “Far too many innocent lives have been taken in these slaughters, all because of the easy access and availability of guns in general and assault weapons in particular.
Students are hoping Congress will take note of their demonstration and “pass common sense gun control legislation into law, that includes a ban on assault weapons.”
At least one congressman will be listening. Rep. Jamie Raskin plans to join the students. The Democrat represents Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, which includes Montgomery County—where many students will be protesting from.
This is the latest in a series of protests and walkouts that have happened across the country—and even more are being planned in the coming weeks and months.
On March 14—exactly one month after the shooting in Florida—the people behind the Women’s March on Washington are helping organize a national school walkout.
On March 24, the March for Our Lives movement will take to the streets of D.C., but cities and communities nationwide are planning sister marches.
