Burke, Springfield Students Plan Another Walkout For Gun Control

BURKE, VA — Students from Burke and Springfield are planning to join a national movement and partake in a walkout in March to protest recent gun violence in schools and call for stricter laws. The March 14 walkout, set to coordinate with the National School Walkout day, is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., according to an event posting on the main campaign website.

Burke area schools that will participate, according to event organizers, include Lake Braddock Secondary School and West Springfield High School. Students from the two schools participated in the first set of walkouts on Feb. 21. LBSS students have set up a Twitter account documenting their participation in protests.

Fairfax County Public Schools policy allows students to peacefully protest "as long as it is done respectfully, does not interfere with the rights of others, and does not disrupt learning in school." Students are allowed to leave their classes and are encouraged to stay on school property for their safety. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)

The walkout events are planned across the country after 17 students, teachers, and coaches were killed and numerous people injured in the Valentine's Day massacre. Students participating in the National Walkout will leave their classrooms for 17 minutes – one minute for each life taken at the school on Feb. 14, according to organizers.

"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," according to the nationwide event page.

You can find a full list of schools participating in the walkout by clicking here.

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."

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Patch Editor Kara Seymour contributed.

PARKLAND, FL - FEBRUARY 23: Deerfield Beach high school students arrive at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after walking the 11 miles from school to school in support of the victims of the mass shooting on campus on February 23, 2018 in Parkland, Florida. Police arrested 19-year-old former student Nikolas Cruz for killing 17 people at the high school. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)