Students nationwide plan to walk out of class today to protest gun violence

Students march after the Parkland shooting — (Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, students at schools across the U.S. and as far away as Australia and Germany plan to walk out of class for 17 minutes to mark the one-month anniversary of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Seventeen people were killed in that shooting, and most of the students participating will be protesting for stricter gun laws, though the protests will take different forms at different schools. According to organizers, students at more than 2,800 schools and universities have signed up to participate.

Some schools are embracing the protests, while others pledge to suspend any students who participate. According to the ACLU, schools can discipline students for leaving class to protest but can't make the punishment any harsher because the political nature of the walkout. There is another school walkout planned for April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting, and a march in Washington on March 24.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.