Schools

Watchung, Green Brook Kids To Walkout Of School Wednesday

"Parents have the right to send their kids to school in the mornings and see them home alive at the end of the day": #NationalSchoolWalkout.

WATCHUNG/GREEN BROOK, NJ — Students at Watchung Hill Regional High School and Green Brook Middle School will participate in a nationwide walkout Wednesday in protest of recent gun violence in schools and to call for stricter firearm laws.

The 17-minute walkout is one of hundreds that will be held across the United States spearheaded by the Enough National School Walkout of the Women's March Youth EMPOWER nonprofit. The length of time is done in memory of the 17 victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida earlier this year. (See Related: Florida Shooting Victim, 14, Lived In NJ, 'Loved, Well-Respected')

The organization said the 10 a.m. walkouts are to "protest Congress' inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods." Other walkouts will occur in Bridgewater, Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Hillsborough and throughout New Jersey.

Find out what's happening in Watchung-Green Brookfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Residents are showing they support local students by displaying orange ribbons on their properties.

Click here for more information about the Green Brook Middle School walkout and click here for more information about the Watchung Hills Regional High School walkout.

Find out what's happening in Watchung-Green Brookfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Photo: Students participate in a protest against gun violence Feb. 21 outside the White House in Washington, D.C. Hundreds of students from a number of Maryland and DC schools walked out of their classrooms and made a trip to the U.S. Capitol and the White House to call for gun legislation, one week after 17 were killed in the latest mass school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.

Get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our new app. Download here.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.