Brandywine students walk out to protest gun violence, remember 21 killed in Uvalde, Texas
Hundreds of students at Brandywine School District's three high schools staged a walkout Thursday to protest gun violence and remember the 21 people who were fatally shot last week at a Texas elementary school.
The walkout is the latest instance in which students across the country are protesting gun violence and pushing lawmakers to enact stronger gun control.
"We hope to just have more of an impact on those that are involved in, you know, state legislation to be able to have direct contact and be able to inspire or incite any kind of legislation changes at that level," said 16-year-old Evan Gant, who will be a senior at Brandywine High School next year.
The walkout started at 9:30 a.m. at the district's three high schools: Brandywine, Concord and Mount Pleasant.
Natalie Tobin, a 16-year-old Brandywine High School junior, said she had invited community leaders, including Delaware lawmakers, to the Brandywine High protest.
"I'm hoping those people, seeing how much we care about it, is going to help them realize they need to push for more action in our government," she said.
At Brandywine High, students walked around the school's track for 21 minutes honoring the 19 children and two adults shot dead on May 24 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. As the students walked, a marching bass drum was beat every four seconds representing how often a person is shot.
Every minute they walked, they announced the name of another Uvalde victim, all of whom were killed by a man who officials said legally purchased two assault rifles and scores of ammunition last month for his 18th birthday.
Students across the nation have been staging walkouts at schools and college campuses since last week to protest gun violence and demand stricter gun controls.
Maddie Ahmadi, a junior at Essex High School in Vermont who serves on the national advisory board of Students Demand Action, decided a walkout was the only option: "Our lives are more important than schoolwork," she told USA Today.
Ahmadi blasted out calls to action on social media and notified her school's administration.
"This didn't feel like a time to ask for permission," she said.
That demonstration took place midmorning the day after the Texas massacre. It also became the first of a string of student walkouts across the country in response to the Uvalde shooting, according to USA Today.
Fifteen-year-old Lola Fenning helped organize the walkout at Brandywine High after hearing from Mount Pleasant High students. She said she decided to do this because she's seen no action after writing to state lawmakers.
"I think that maybe if we try a different way, maybe they'll hear us," Fenning said.
Fenning, who will be a sophomore next school year, said she and others plan to be more socially active in the years to come.
"And for different causes, not just this," she said. "Racism, anti-Semitism, all these things, because I think this is really important."
The student-led protests also have the support of school administrators.
"The student leaders coordinated with their building leadership to plan meaningful events bringing attention to gun violence occurring across the country," said Danielle Pro-Hudson, Brandywine School District spokeswoman.
Contact Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299, eparra@delawareonline.com or Twitter @eparra3.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware students protest gun violence in wake of Texas shooting
