Schools mark ‘Day of Action’ today
Columbine High shooting anniversary provides background for ‘walk-in’
A “Day of Action.” That’s what schools in Albuquerque have planned for today, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting massacre, according to the Albuquerque Teachers Federation.
The local union anticipates more than 100 schools will don orange bracelets with the message #NOMORE today, re-initiating a conversation on gun violence and school safety.
Schools will host a “walk-in” and tie orange ribbons around fences for awareness.
“Nineteen years ago, in the wake of the massacre at Columbine, we said, ‘never again,’ and since then, over 187,000 students at 193 schools have experienced a school shooting. Our students have implored us to hold our politicians accountable for school safety, and today we honor their plea with this message: all students deserve safe, welcoming, supportive school environments where they can learn and thrive without fear,” wrote Ellen Bernstein, president of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, in a statement.
The walk-ins are planned to take place before the start of the school day.
Some schools planning on participating include Bandelier Elementary, Lew Wallace Elementary School, Kennedy Middle School and Highland High School, according to ATF.
Across the country, other forms of activism including protests and walkouts are also planned for today.
Day of Action follows two other protests last month advocating for school safety reform.
On March 14, many students across New Mexico walked out of class for 17 minutes — one minute for each victim of a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
And on March 24, thousands in Albuquerque marched in the streets of the Old Town area for the nationwide gun violence protest March for Our Lives.