Hudson Valley students participate in National School Walkout

Students from several Hudson Valley schools walked out of class Friday to renew the demand for action on gun reform.
The National School Walkout is part of a nationwide student-organized protest against gun violence. The event marks the anniversary of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Colorado.
The walkout comes more than a month after thousands of students walked out of class on March 14 as part of the #Enough campaign. It also follows the March For Our Lives rallies on March 24, where historically large crowds of American youth marched on Washington and took to the streets to demand gun reform.
News 12 is told the National School Walkout was organized by a 16-year-old student from Connecticut.
“In the time I’ve been in high school, we’ve had the Pulse, Las Vegas and now the MSD shooting,” said organizer Lane Murdock. “So this is something that surrounds us every single day.”
Organizers say there was at least one planned walkout per state.
Participating students walked of their classrooms at 10 a.m. to observe a moment of silence for shooting victims.
Students at Sleepy Hollow High School told News 12 that school officials allowed them to hold the walkout on campus to take part in the movement.
“We wanted people to know that we care and want and need [the laws] to change for our safety,” said student protester Kira Gleit. “We have grown up under school shooting shadows.”
Following the walkout, those taking part gathered at Patriots Park to continue the rally.
“We wanted to make a statement to our school and to schools all across Westchester and the country that our generation will be the generation to change these laws,” said another student protester. “We just want to feel safe.”
News 12 is told that the group of students planned to spend the day giving back to the community by cleaning local parks, making phone calls and writing letters to legislators.