Fulton Students Plan Walkouts In Call For Stricter Gun Laws

FULTON COUNTY, GA — Thousands of students are expected to take part in a walkout next month in an effort to advocate for stricter gun laws, and their peers in Fulton County have signed on to join the protest.

The March 14 walkout, which will coincide with the National School Walkout day, is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., according to the main campaign website.

In Fulton County, students at the following schools have indicated they will participate:

• North Springs Charter High School
• Riverwood International Charter School
• Autrey Mill Middle School
• Roswell High School
• Centennial High School
• Milton High School
• Johns Creek High School
• Alpharetta High School
• Northview High School
• Cambridge High School
• Fulton Science Academy

The walkouts will be held a month after the Valentine's Day massacre at Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 students, teachers and coaches were killed by accused gunman Nikolas Cruz. According to the site, students who take part in the protest will leave their classrooms for 17 minutes — one minute for each life taken at the school.

The Fulton County School System said students will be allowed to express themselves as long as their activities do not disrupt operations or classroom instruction (For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here).

"While Fulton County Schools believes in personal expression and First Amendment rights, we also must make sure those actions do not impact the instructional day," the system said last week, referencing a rule outlined in the Fulton school board's policy. "Our district believes it has a responsibility to teach students how to express their beliefs in a peaceful, positive, and safe way that puts the spotlight on the message, not on the activity."

The system also said any student who misses a class may face an unexcused absence and if he or she becomes disruptive, that student will face disciplinary action. Fulton schools did share some examples of activities students can engage in without violating any district policies. Some of these include students coordinating with their principal to gather around the school's flagpole during their lunch hour or "peacefully" walking out a designated area for 17 minutes during a non-instructional time in support of the victims. They can also organize a candlelight vigil or memorial during a previously arranged time, the system added.

Organizers behind the national event say the March 14 walkout is designed to "protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods."

"We need action," the nationwide event page states. "Students and allies are organizing the national school walkout to demand Congress pass legislation to keep us safe from gun violence at our schools, on our streets and in our homes and places of worship."

You can find a full list of schools participating in the walkout by clicking here.

Zach Gibson/Getty Images

(Patch National Editor Kara Seymour contributed to this article)