RCHS students demand action on gun violence with nationwide walkout

RABUN COUNTY —  At Rabun County High School, 20 students stepped out mid-morning into the cold weather to proudly protest their first amendment rights in recognition of the 17 individuals who were tragically massacred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Across the country, students walked out of class for 17 minutes on Wednesday, one for each victim who died at the shooting in Parkland, Fla., exactly one month ago.

The mass protests were held at 10 a.m. local time in each time zone. Organizers said the purpose was to highlight “Congress’ inaction against the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods.”

Initial conversations were held with the faculty and staff at Rabun County Schools two weeks prior, and again on Wednesday morning 30 minutes before more than a dozen students walked out of their classrooms, which revealed no member of the school administration had any knowledge of the protest.

Rabun County Superintendent Melissa Williams told WRBN/WGHC News in a previous interview that she believed although the students were deeply concerned for the travesty that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, students were more focused on staying in class.

“Our students are very concerned and sympathetic and want to prayerfully cover the students who were involved in any type of traumatic event,” Williams said. “They’re focused on staying in school and attending classes.”

However, 20 students certainly had different intentions and marched outside demanding lawmakers to do something before another school falls victim to gun violence.

Initially organized by the Women’s March youth branch, the National Student Walkout demanded three key actions from Congress; ban assault weapons; require universal background checks before gun sales; pass a gun violence restraining order law that would allow courts to disarm people who display warning signs of violent behavior.

Williams said in an email 18 minutes after the protest was set to occur Wednesday morning, the students who participated in the protest were escorted immediately back inside the school to the gymnasium, where inside they were allowed to sit in silence for 17 minutes to honor the 14 students and three teachers in the Parkland shooting who were killed.

“They were escorted to the gym where the lives of the 17 students killed in Florida were honored with moments of silence,” Williams said.  “After the 17 minutes, they were escorted back to class.”

Although brief, this may not be the only incident students feel inclined to participate in — two more nationwide protests are set to take place on March 24 and on April 20, the anniversary of the Columbine shooting.