School Walkouts In Essex County: Students Against Guns (WATCH)

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The sound of hundreds of pairs of feet were heard marching out of classrooms across Essex County on Wednesday morning. And according to those leading the exodus - the students - it was the sound of change that echoed down the hallways.

On March 14, in solidarity with students across the U.S., hundreds of Essex County youth walked out of their schools to protest gun violence and demand action from lawmakers as part of the national #ENOUGH rally.

In Essex County, student walkouts took place in West Orange, Montclair, South Orange-Maplewood, Bloomfield, Nutley, Verona, The Caldwells, Livingston, Millburn and Newark (read more about each protest below).

This is a developing story. Patch will update this article if more information becomes available.

• See related article: National School Walkout Day (Who's Involved In NJ?)

According to national organizers, the rallies 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)

Here’s what drove the 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

Here are some of the school districts in Essex County that saw student walkouts.

NEWARK

In New Jersey’s largest city, students launched walkouts at several schools around 10 a.m. (Read more here)

Mayor Ras Baraka stood in solidarity with the protesting students at Barringer High School, posting the below video on Twitter:

MONTCLAIR

Student organizers in Montclair said that the walkout at Montclair High School was a way to “show their support for the Parkland students and for Common Sense Gun Legislation.” (Read more here)

“It’s student activism, led by students,” MHS senior Corinna Davis told Montclair Local. “We don’t need teachers involved.”

Blythe Raine Bharamipour, senior class president, said that the administration told class officers students will not be penalized for attending, Montclair Local reported.

NUTLEY

A walkout at Nutley High School was led and organized by students, TAP Into Nutley reported.

Read more here.

The Nutley Citizens Community posted a letter sent on Tuesday from the school district to Middle School parents and guardians about the walkout on Facebook. The letter stated that administrators were aware that some students planned to protest, but others preferred not to participate.

District administrators wrote that they planned to “honor the intent of these movements” by inviting students to join teachers and counselors in the school auditorium for a moment of silence.

“While we are granting permission to participate in this one-time event, participating students must comply with the following guidelines,” the letter stated:

• Students are to return to class immediately following the moment of silence
• Students are not to disrupt the educational environment
• Any student leaving the building without being signed out by a parent will face disciplinary action as stated in the student handbook on page six

Nutley Commissioner Steven Rogers, the head of the NJ Trump 2020 team had some critical dissent to offer about the walkouts on Twitter:

• “Will be talking to citizens about organizing a pro-U.S. Constitution walk-out at schools across America. Stay-tuned! Let’s see if school officials support that!”
• “I am hearing from parents concerned about security risks during walk-outs. Who is going to check on the massive number of students and others re-entering schools after the protest. A very legitimate concern.”
• “Many politicians afraid to speak up about school walk-outs. Shameful! In my view appropriate tributes to the victims in Florida should be held as candle light services, with families etc. Parents need to engage and see who is sponsoring and financing any type of walk-outs.”

VERONA

A group of Verona High School students led their classmates in walkout to honor the victims and rally student support against gun violence on March 14. Another walkout took place at H. B. Whitehorne Middle School, MyVeronaNJ.com reported.

Read more here.

“My relatives in upstate New York are hunters,” one of the student organizers said. “But they know the difference between having a gun that can kill one deer and a weapon that can kill many people.”

Verona school administrators told students that they may proceed with the walkout as long as it is done in an orderly fashion. More than 100 students were reportedly interested in the walkout.

LIVINGSTON

Students at Livingston High School walked out of class around 10 a.m. in solidarity with their peers.

The 2017-18 Livingston Public Schools "code of conduct" doesn't specifically mention student-led protests – either in support or opposition – as part of its "prohibited activities in school."

Read more here.

BLOOMFIELD

Students led a walkout at Bloomfield High School around 10 a.m. (Read more here)

According to a letter from Bloomfield High School administrators to local parents, posted on the Nutley Citizens Community Facebook page:

“Although this event is student led and student driven, the administration is working with the students and the Bloomfield Police Department to ensure the safety and well-being of those students who wish to participate in this event. Students are responsible for any missed work during this time as instructional class time will continue for those students who do not wish to participate. The administration has agreed that any student who participates in this event will not be subject to school discipline as long as their participation is peaceful and they follow the direction of school and police personnel.”

MILLBURN

A protest at Millburn High School involved dozens of students who gathered outside the building. TAP Into Millburn/Short Hills posted photos from the walkout.

Read more here.

NORTH CALDWELL

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

Read more here.

"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."

WEST ORANGE

Students protested in West Orange around 10 a.m. (Read more here)

District administrators in West Orange offered support for the March 14 walkout and said that peacefully participating students will not be disciplined.

West Orange Schools Superintendent Jeff Rutzky provided Patch with the following statement on Tuesday afternoon:

"I completely support our students who participate in the March 14 walkout. Our goal is to support the students' rights of free expression while ensuring their safety. It is an opportunity to raise awareness and hopefully stop the tragic gun violence that has taken place in schools for far too long. The West Orange Police Department and West Orange Public Schools have formulated a plan that will permit students in grades 6-12 to express their feelings as part of the national student walkout, while respecting other students who prefer to remain inside the schools during the walkout. The students who do not walkout will be in a supervised location within the school. If a student chooses to participate in the walkout and returns when the 17-minute walkout concludes, it will not be considered a cut or absence from class. Elementary students in grades PreK-5 will not participate in the walkout or any form of demonstration."

• See related article: West Orange Students Will Join National Walkout On Gun Violence

SOUTH ORANGE-MAPLEWOOD

Columbia High School students walked out of class around 10 a.m. and assembled in front of the building, demanding gun violence prevention measures in memory of the students and staff killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. (Read more here)

Organizers included:

• CHS Students for Justice
• CHS People On Women’s Equity and Rights (P.O.W.E.R.)
• CHS Black Student Union
• CHS Student Council

During their protest, the students demanded action steps to prevent gun violence and ensure the safety of schools and communities around the country. Students also read aloud from a list of 12 demands for gun violence prevention, safe schools and communities, and increased resources for students in crisis.

The protesting students released the following statement on Wednesday:

• We the students demand gun violence prevention now. This includes the banning of assault rifles and gun accessories, such as bumpstocks and high quantity magazines.
• We the students demand that you recognize that guns are the problem. By “you,” we mean the NRA, politicians, and the administration.
• We the students demand that students, teachers, and administration recognize the severity and relevance of gun violence and act appropriately in response. We need a building wide discussion about how to make code reds more effective. And further improvements for a safe community. All without giving up the comfort school should provide.
• We the students demand transparency between administration and students concerning safety and direct threats.
• We the students demand that mental health is not thought of as the main cause of gun violence. Guns are. Guns are the problem.
• We the students demand increased resources for students in crisis. We the students demand that our school provide adequate resources to identify and support students in crisis.
• We the students demand that guns stay out of the school. Out of the hands of students and teachers. And we demand that police are not brought into our schools except when there is an emergency.
• We the students demand that if guns are purchased, background checks are extensive and guaranteed. Japan has 13 steps to buy a gun; the United States Of America has two.
• We the students urge large corporations to stop the sale of assault rifles and to raise the minimum age required to buy a gun.
• We the students denounce politicians that accept the NRA’s blood money. We can stop gun violence without them.
• We the students demand that gun violence discussions be inclusive and extend to gun violence in places outside of school. We the students demand national policies so that no person has to fear gun violence in school, at a mall, at a concert, at a place of worship, at home, or anywhere they go.
• We the students recognize the civic responsibility to continue fighting after today. This includes voting. Our voices have power and soon our votes will too. Rejecting politicians in the pocket of the NRA. We should all participate in the March For Our Lives march and rally to be held on March 24 in SOMA, Newark, New York City, Morristown, and Washington D.C. Members of this community will gather at the Maplewood and South Orange train stations for a rally and then board trains to march in solidarity with other students in our area. Go to board of education meetings, clubs, and participate in future actions for gun violence prevention taking place at Columbia.

Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site here. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Main Photo: Protest at West Orange High School, March 14 (West Orange Public School District)