Exactly one month after a gunman killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland, Florida, students across the U.S. will be walking out of school for 17 minutes to protest gun violence and support those effected.

The walk out will happen at 10 a.m. local time in each time zone and one Paxson Elementary student posted the following regarding the 5th grade student walk out here in Missoula.

The Paxson Elementary fifth graders are planning a walkout on the 14th of March. We are taking part in a nationwide walkout because we want to fight for safer schools and make sure that there aren't any more shootings. We will walk out the front of the school with signs for 17 minutes to commemorate the 17 people who were killed in Parkland, Florida. We have invited the 4th graders to participate as well. Our principal, Mr. Peter Halloran is working with to make sure our walkout and demonstration is proper, effective, and safe. We appreciate his help with this matter. We have made at least 47 signs for our walkout and at least 45 kids participating. We want people in power to know that this is an issue, and do something about it. Even though we are young, we want our voices to be heard by the world.
Sincerely,
Salome McGahan Daniel
Fifth grader at Paxson

Western Montana parents can expect similar actions at their own children's schools this morning. Communications Director Hatton Littman said even though students are preparing to walk out, the district is not sanctioning the activity. Here's a full statement from MCPS regarding the walk out.

The official protocol for the walkouts is available here.

 

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