One month after seventeen people were killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, Women’s March Youth Empower is organizing a national student walkout against gun violence. In most areas, including Utah, the walkout will happen at 10:00 a.m.local time on Wednesday, March 14.
Just ahead of the walkout, on Wednesday’s Access Utah we’ll talk to participating students at East High School, Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts, Highland High School, and West High School (all in Salt Lake City). Students at these schools are joining students at more than 2,500 schools participating across the nation.
Here is a statement from the student organizers of the walkouts in Salt Lake City:
“We are living in an age where young people like us do not feel safe in our schools. This issue is personal for all of us, especially for those of us who are survivors of gun violence. We are walking out for ALL people who have experienced gun violence, including systemic forms of gun violence that disproportionately impact teens in Black and Brown communities. It is important that when we refer to gun violence, we do not overlook the impact of police brutality and militarized policing, or see police in schools as a solution. We also recognize the United States has exported gun violence through imperialist foreign policy to destabilize other nations. We raise our voices for action against all these forms of gun violence.”
“As students in Utah, we are outraged by the state legislation’s abdication of positing gun control, and keeping students safe. Due to the failure of our politicians establishing legislation ensuring students’ safety, Utah’s youth have forefronted this movement to propel our state legislators to take action. We will utilize our voices as tools to expedite change. We have declared that this will not happen again. We have had enough– Salt Lake City School District will not be next.”
