Texarkana Gazette

On anniversar­y of Columbine shooting, students look to turn outrage to action

- By Collin Binkley

Once again, they filed out of class. In a new wave of school walkouts, they raised their voices against gun violence. But this time, they were looking to turn outrage into action.

Many of the students who joined demonstrat­ions across the country Friday turned their attention to upcoming elections as they pressed for tougher gun laws and politician­s who will enact them. Scores of rallies turned into voter registrati­on drives. Students took the stage to issue an ultimatum to their lawmakers.

“We want to show that we’re not scared. We want to stop mass shootings and we want gun control,” said Binayak Pandey, 16, who rallied with dozens of students outside Georgia’s Capitol in Atlanta. “The people who can give us that will stay in office, and the people who can’t give us that will be out of office.”

All told, tens of thousands of students left class Friday for protests that spread from coast to coast. They filed out at 10 a.m. to gather for a moment of silence honoring the victims of gun violence. Some headed to nearby rallies. Others stayed at school to discuss gun control and register their peers to vote.

Organizers said an estimated 150,000 students protested Friday at more than 2,700 walkouts, including at least one in each state, as they sought to sustain a wave of youth activism that drove a larger round of walkouts on March 14. Activists behind that earlier protest estimated it drew nearly 1 million students.

Friday’s action was planned by a Connecticu­t teenager, Lane Murdock, after a gunman stormed Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, leaving 17 people dead. It was meant to coincide with the 19th anniversar­y of the Columbine High School shooting in Littleton, Colo.

The focus on the November elections reflects a shift after activists gained little immediate traction in Washington—and prospects for their influence remain uncertain. Congress has shown little inclinatio­n to tighten gun laws, and President Donald Trump backed away from his initial support for raising the minimum age to buy some guns.

Among those who helped orchestrat­e the walkout—and the voter registrati­on push—was the progressiv­e group Indivisibl­e, which formed after the 2016 election to oppose Trump’s policies.

In cities across the country, it was common to see crowds of students clad in orange—the color used by hunters to signal “don’t shoot”—rallying outside their schools or at public parks.

Several hundred gathered at New York City’s Washington Square Park, chanting “The NRA has got to go!” and “Enough is enough.” A large group in Washington marched from the White House to the Capitol building to rally for gun control.

Nate Fenerty was among dozens of students who left class to rally in Richmond, Va. He registered to vote for the first time at tables set up by students at the protest and said he wants Congress to approve mandatory background checks for gun buyers.

“How many more times are we going to stand in memoriam for another school shooting before our policymake­rs to actually do something?” said Fenerty, who carried a sign saying “Am I Next?”

Virginia students had expected 10,000 people at the Richmond rally, but only about 300 showed up. Still, those who turned up said they weren’t discourage­d.

Shortly before the walkouts, news spread that there had been another shooting at a Florida school. Authoritie­s say one student shot another in the ankle at Forest High School in Ocala early Friday. A suspect was taken into custody. Activists said it underscore­d the urgency of their work.

 ?? Christophe­r Millette/Erie Times-News via AP ?? ■ Fairview Middle and High School students take part in a national school walkout event to protest gun violence and honor shooting victims at Fairview High School on Friday in Fairview Township, Erie County, Pa.
Christophe­r Millette/Erie Times-News via AP ■ Fairview Middle and High School students take part in a national school walkout event to protest gun violence and honor shooting victims at Fairview High School on Friday in Fairview Township, Erie County, Pa.

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