Over 3,000 Students Participate In Princeton Walkout: Report

PRINCETON, NJ — The more than 3,000 students at Princeton High School — among the largest in the state — that walked out of class as part of Wednesday's National Walkout didn't end their day with the protest.

Students at Princeton High School were among the students across the country who walked out of class at 10 a.m. Wednesday. They engaged in 17 minutes of silence to honor the 17 students and staff killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Valentine's Day.

After the protest, students participated in service activities, the Princeton Packet reports. This included calling and writing to members of Congress, registering to vote and organizing food donations for those in need. Third and fourth-period classes were cancelled.

Not every student participated, and those who didn’t were given time to study independently. However, some students told the newspaper they weren’t happy that the school organized the protest so heavily. “This was meant to cause disruption, but right now, [students] are getting free periods,” student Madison Richmond told the paper.

Princeton was among the many districts who were supportive of the students, but districts were also concerned about the safety of those protesting. Before Wednesday’s walkouts, many districts didn’t release the details of what would be happening at their schools. Prior to Wednesday’s walkouts, the New Jersey Department of Education released recommendations on how schools can ensure students are safe while protesting.

In at least two school districts in South Jersey, there were threats that interfered with Wednesday’s protests.

The Clearview Regional School District was forced to close due to an unspecified threat. Read more here: Threat Closes South Jersey School District On Walkout Day

Atlantic City High School was put on lockdown after a student at the school received a threatening text message. Read more here: Atlantic City High School On Lockdown

Calls for a nationwide student walkout to demand stricter gun laws began just days after the mass shootings that killed 14 students and three staff members and injured 16 other people. They have been met with mixed responses from school administrators across the country. While Princeton was among many districts that were supportive, some districts threatened suspensions or even expulsions.

Anyone who has photos from Wednesday’s walkout and service events at Princeton High School and would like to share them with Patch can send them to Anthony.Bellano@patch.com.

Patch file photo