Watch: South Bay Students Participate In National Walkout

REDONDO BEACH, CA – About 600 students at Redondo Union High School congregated on the lawn at 10 a.m. in front of the school as part of the #ENOUGH National School Walkout, according to RUHS Principal Jens Brandt. The kids held signs and chanted phrases such as "Hey, hey, NRA, how many kids did you kill today?" and "No more silence, end gun violence" in the 17 minute protest to honor the 17 students killed in Parkland, Florida just one month ago.

One lone student wore a National Rifle Association shirt and waved a Trump flag in front of the large mass of students, who continued their protest undeterred. Dozens of cars drove by honking in support, each met with a cheer from the growing crowd.

Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand applauded students in Redondo Beach and nationwide for exercising their First Amendment rights and standing up to gun violence, according to a statement obtained by RUHS parent Luis Vasquez-Ajmac.

"It's a national disgrace that kids have to walk out of school to get the attention of adults in charge," Mayor Brand said. "'Thoughts and prayers' do nothing to prevent more mass shootings."

Watch Live: Redondo Beach Union High School students participate in the National School Walkout

Thousands of students in the South Bay and Harbor Area also participated by walking off of school grounds or hosting on-campus events. Students at San Pedro High School kept their event on campus after administrators warned students of potential consequences, according to Daily Breeze. The Los Angeles Unified School District, which includes schools in the Harbor Area and nearby, discouraged students from walking off campus last week.

"We feel like walking out will not really help our cause, so it will be better if we take action, and have activities to help students learn to make change using their political voice," Christian Delvin, a senior at San Pedro High, told Daily Breeze.

The school placed 17 desks near the flagpole to honor the students killed in Parkland, put up a "call wall" with the phone numbers of lawmakers and another "expression wall" for students to write messages, the newspaper reported. There were also face-painting stations and a therapy circle, English teacher David Crowley told Daily Breeze.

Some of the schools had guests and speakers: Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn walked out with students at Alice M. Baxter College-Ready High School, and gun control advocate and South Bay Rep. Ted Lieu spoke at South High School in Torrance.

Here are some of the registered #ENOUGH National School Walkouts in the South Bay area:

• Beryl Heighs School Walkout
• Redondo Union High School Walkout
• North High School Walkout
• South Torrance High School Walkout
• South Bay LA School Walkout- #ENOUGH
• ENOUGH: Palos Verdes Peninsula High School Walkout
• El Segundo High School Walkout March 14th
• PVHS Walkout

Photos by Michele Toddun; Video by Patch staffer Emily Holland