MASSILLON At 10 a.m. Wednesday, about 125 Washington High School students peacefully walked out the front door of the school and gathered around the flagpole.
There, they stood in silent protest remembering the 17 lives lost in a recent school shooting in Florida. The action also served as a reminder to school officials and fellow students that the students staging the protest want to make a difference. Some students held orange signs that read “Keep our students safe.”
Across the nation, students participated in 17-minute walkouts aimed at pressuring Congress to approve gun control legislation. A number of Stark County school districts allowed students to leave their classrooms. Some district, such as Plain Local and Jackson Local provided space within the school buildings to have a voice in the movement.
Other districts, including Perry Local Schools, had students step outside of the school for the 17-minute protest before they returned to the classroom
Senior Brittany Friedrich, who helped organize Massillon’s walkout, was pleased to see her fellow students join her outside the building. She speculated many other students wanted to participate but feared they would get in trouble. Participating in the walkout was the right thing to do, she said.