Chicago Students Walk Out Of Class To Protest Gun Violence: Video

CHICAGO, IL — Inspired by the Parkland school shooting survivors in Florida, students across Chicago walked out of class Wednesday morning as part of the national movement to call for stronger gun laws. Starting at 10 a.m., many students and teachers participated in the 17-minute walkout — one minute for each of the victims killed in the Parkland high school shooting on Feb. 14. Many students at Catholic schools throughout Chicago chose to pray for the 17 minutes, while other students participated in marches or 17 minutes of silence.

Sarah Jester, a senior at Walter Payton College Prep on Chicago's Near North Side, said students chose to link arms and form a chain around their school to send a symbolic message.

"We wanted to show people driving by, people walking by, that the school is our space — we're not going to allow guns inside of it, we're not going to allow teachers to be armed inside of it, and that was very powerful for all of us."

Watch Chicago students stage a walkout LIVE, below:

Jester said all students have a right to come to school free of fear, and that right has been taken away from many young people.

"Especially for students of color, who often already suffer from gun violence in their communities at higher rates...they now have an added fear of not being safe at school."

Jester said that the walkout provided an opportunity for many students who wouldn't otherwise feel their voice was being heard.

"It's difficult when you're not old enough to be able to register to vote — so if you can't have as much of a voice in your government, then it almost feels as though you have zero control."

Chicago Public School district officials said they support students' decision to participate in the walkout; however, not every school changed its schedule to accommodate the event.

Walter Payton Principal Tim Devine said teachers and staff worked with their student government to change class schedules and accommodate the walkout.

"We all worked together to make sure this was a time and space in which students could use their voice to ask adults to step up and protect kids so kids can grow and lead their lives without fear."

Devine said he thought it was important for his school to support students who chose to walk out of classes.

"We promote student activism. We firmly believe that it is our job as educators to develop student voice. And we would be hypocrites if we told the students that if they start to use their voice outside of this school, they can't do that, but they can just write it in an essay or presentation in front of a class."

Devine said his school also supported students who chose not to participate in the walkout.

Students from several other schools on the city's North Side marched east in Lincoln Park past the Chicago History Museum, according to several school representatives.

Some Chicago schools, such as the Holy Trinity High School in Noble Square, said there wasn't enough space for students to march safely outside, so they chose to pray inside instead.

A spokesperson with Holy Trinity said the school also provided a number of educational opportunities for students after the prayer, from teaching them how to write to state and federal leaders to call for action, to educating students about how to protest effectively and practice non-violent action.

The organization EMPOWER organized the national walkout, and more than 2,500 events were planned at schools around the country, the group posted on its website.

More from Patch

• National School Walkout: Will You Urge Your Kid To Participate?
• Walkout, March Planned By PSHS Teens After Florida Shooting
• Parkland Shooting: Students Plan March Urging Gun Control

Photos by Amber Fisher