Students In Caldwells Hold School Walkouts Against Gun Violence

CALDWELL, NJ — They walked out of their classes on Wednesday morning in the Caldwells, joining thousands of their peers across the nation in a protest against gun violence.

On March 14, students in the Caldwells participated in the national #ENOUGH rallies, which were timed for March 14 to coincide with the one-month anniversary of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The walkouts each were slated to last 17 minutes, one for each life taken during the tragedy. (Learn more about the protest here)

According to the Wessex Wire, the West Essex Regional High School student-run newspaper, there was a "heavy police presence" at the high school during the walkout.

"The campus has been closed to ensure the safety of students," the newspaper reported Wednesday morning. "Students are now walking silently around the campus as the names of the 17 Parkland victims are read."

An alum at the school supported the students online: "This WEHS ‘79 grad is proud of those who have taken a stand today."

Tamara Harris, a candidate for soon-to-retire U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen’s seat in New Jersey’s 11th District, stood alongside students at West Essex Regional High School on Wednesday.

“Guns are not just an issue for urban America,” Harris said. “What we saw in Parkland, Florida could have happened in North Caldwell, Verona, or Montclair, so I am very proud of the students at West Essex High School for taking a stand on this critical issue.”

Students at James Caldwell High School in West Caldwell and Grover Cleveland Middle School in Caldwell also held protests on Wednesday, school administrators reported.

Grover Cleveland Middle School Principal James Brown posted the following message on the school’s Twitter page Wednesday:

“On behalf of the entire faculty and staff at GCMS, I want to thank the students for the mature manner in which they represented themselves and GCMS as part of #NationalSchoolWalkout. Their dialogue and feedback during advisory groups is the starting point for making a difference.”

More than 300 students, faculty and staff at Mount St. Dominic Academy in Caldwell also participated in the walkout with a remembrance and prayer service outside the school in front of the Angel Statue on the Sisters of St. Dominic Motherhouse lawn.

Joined by members of the Caldwell Police Department, the school community listened silently as the Motherhouse bells rang 17 times at 10 a.m. in honor of the 17 victims of Parkland. A prayer service followed in the Doris M. Byrne Performing Arts Center where the 17 names were read.

Head of School Sister Fran Sullivan said she supported students’ effort to observe the national demonstration at MSDA and encouraged the planning of the event on the one month anniversary of the school shooting.

“I am so proud of you," Sullivan told students during the event. "I feel the energy, strength, and ultimate courage that comes from each one of you.

The Caldwells weren't the only local school districts to see student-led walkouts on Wednesday. In Essex County, student walkouts took place in towns including West Orange, Montclair, South Orange-Maplewood, Bloomfield, Nutley, Verona, Livingston, Millburn and Newark.

• See related article: School Walkouts In Essex County: Students Against Guns (WATCH)

Here’s what drove the national walkouts, according to organizers:

“We are living in an age where young people like us do not feel safe in our schools. This issue is personal for all of us, especially for those of us who are survivors of gun violence. We are walking out for ALL people who have experienced gun violence, including systemic forms of gun violence that disproportionately impact teens in black and brown communities. It is important that when we refer to gun violence, we do not overlook the impact of police brutality and militarized policing, or see police in schools as a solution. We also recognize the United States has exported gun violence through imperialist foreign policy to destabilize other nations. We raise our voices for action against all these forms of gun violence.”

While many districts have chosen to condone or embrace the protests, some, such as the Sayreville School District, have threatened to suspend participating students.

According to the ACLU of New Jersey, school officials are not allowed to prohibit or censor speech or press activities based on their content, unless it falls within one of two exceptions:

• “It is foreseeable that the speech will cause substantial disruption to the operation of the school”
• “It is too lewd or vulgar for the school audience”

Many parents and community members offered support for the student-led protest online. However, some 2nd Amendment advocates have argued against the students’ main assertion: more gun control laws will help to stop school shootings.

"Unfortunately, [Parkland] will not be the last mass shooting in America, in a school or any other soft target, and no new gun laws will prevent anyone with enough hate in their heart from committing such a crime," the New Jersey Second Amendment Society (NJ2AS) stated last month.

“We can certainly do better to improve the existing systems in place and properly enforce gun regulations already on the books,” the group stated.

• See related article: NJ Gun Advocates Say More Laws Won't Stop School Shootings

Are you for or against the student walkouts on March 14? Let us know why. Send a letter to the editor with your full name and town of residence to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Main photo courtesy of Tamara Harris