National School Walkout: Here's What To Expect In PG County

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, MD -- A major nationwide walkout of high school students will take place on Wednesday, March 14, and students at local schools are likely to join in.

The walkouts mark the one-month anniversary of when 17 students were gunned down by a teen armed with an AR-15 in Parkland, Fla. The shooting caused a massive uproar and demands for tighter restrictions on guns, but Republicans and the National Rifle Association have resisted any changes to current gun laws.

Kevin Maxwell, chief executive officer of Prince George's County Public Schools, wrote in a letter to school leaders that he "support[ed] the spirit of the National School Walkout," according to a WTOP report.

High schools around the D.C. area are expected to participate in the walkout. They will remain on school grounds and return to classes once the 17-minute protest ends.

The walkouts are a prelude to a massive march on the National Mall in D.C. on Saturday, March 24.

The Women's March is helping organize the event through ActionNetwork.org, titling the event "#Enough National School Walkout."

"Women’s March Youth EMPOWER is calling for students, teachers, school administrators, parents and allies to take part in a #NationalSchoolWalkout for 17 minutes at 10am across every time zone on March 14, 2018 to protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods," according to the organization's website. "We need action. 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."

Here is a list of three upcoming national protests aimed at legislative gun reform:

• March 14, 2018, 10 a.m. — National School Walkout. Say event organizers: "Women's March Youth EMPOWER is calling for students, teachers, school administrators, parents and allies to take part in a #NationalSchoolWalkout for 17 minutes at 10am across every time zone on March 14, 2018 to protest Congress' inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods.
• March 24, 2018 — March For Our Lives. Say event organizers: "On March 24, the kids and families of March For Our Lives will take to the streets of Washington DC to demand that their lives and safety become a priority and that we end gun violence and mass shootings in our schools today. March with us in Washington DC or march in your own community. On March 24, the collective voices of the March For Our Lives movement will be heard.
• April 20, 2018 — National High School Student Walk Out. Say event organizers: "On Friday, April 20th, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting I propose a National High School student walk out. Walk out of school, wear orange and protest online and in your communities. Sign the petition if you pledge to do so. Nothing has changed since Columbine, let us start a movement that lets the government know the time for change is now."

Patch Editors Deb Belt and Kara Seymour contributed.

(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)