Page 32 - aruba-today-20180421

A32 FEATURE
Saturday 21 april 2018
In new walkouts, students look to turn outrage to action

By COLLIN BINKLEY something?” said Fenerty,
Associated Press who carried a sign saying
Once again, they filed out “Am I Next?”
of class. In a new wave Virginia students had ex-
of school walkouts, they pected 10,000 people at
raised their voices against the Richmond rally, but only
gun violence. But this time, about 300 showed up. Still,
they were looking to turn those who turned up said
outrage into action. they weren’t discouraged.
Many of the students who Shortly before the walkouts,
joined demonstrations news spread that there had
across the country Friday been another shooting at
turned their attention to a Florida school. Authorities
upcoming elections as they say one student shot an-
pressed for tougher gun other in the ankle at Forest
laws and politicians who High School in Ocala early
will enact them. Scores Friday. A suspect was taken
of rallies turned into voter into custody. Activists said it
registration drives. Students underscored the urgency
took the stage to issue an of their work.
ultimatum to their lawmak- Student David Hogg, a
ers. “We want to show that Parkland survivor who has
we’re not scared. We want Two rings of chairs encircle the words “NEVER AGAIN” in a silent protest on the 19th anniversary of emerged as a leading ac-
to stop mass shootings and the Columbine High School shooting outside Trinity High School in Manchester, N.H., Friday, April tivist, took to social media
we want gun control,” said 20, 2018. nearly every day this week
Binayak Pandey, 16, who Associated Press urging students to register.
rallied with dozens of stu- teenager, Lane Murdock, tial support for raising the “The NRA has got to go!” On Thursday he made the
dents outside Georgia’s after a gunman stormed minimum age to buy some and “Enough is enough.” A motivation clear on Twit-
Capitol in Atlanta. “The Marjory Stoneman Doug- guns. Among those who large group in Washington ter: “The only way to make
people who can give us las High School in Parkland, helped orchestrate the marched from the White politicians listen to us is by
that will stay in office, and Florida, on Feb. 14, leav- walkout — and the voter House to the Capitol build- voting in ones that will,”
the people who can’t give ing 17 people dead. It was registration push — was the ing to rally for gun control. he said. Hogg was among
us that will be out of office.” meant to coincide with the progressive group Indivisi- Nate Fenerty was among about 50 students who
All told, tens of thousands 19th anniversary of the Col- ble, which formed after the dozens of students who left walked out of Stoneman
of students left class Friday umbine High School shoot- 2016 election to oppose class to rally in Richmond, Douglas on Friday after
for protests that spread ing in Littleton, Colorado. Trump’s policies. Virginia. He registered to administrators threatened
from coast to coast. They The focus on the Novem- In cities across the coun- vote for the first time at protesters with unexcused
filed out at 10 a.m. to gath- ber elections reflects a try, it was common to see tables set up by students absences.
er for a moment of silence shift after activists gained crowds of students clad in at the protest and said he Craig Smith and Terry Mc-
honoring the victims of gun little immediate traction in orange — the color used wants Congress to approve Gary, both 17-year-old
violence. Some headed Washington — and pros- by hunters to signal “don’t mandatory background juniors, said they walked
to nearby rallies. Others pects for their influence re- shoot” — rallying outside checks for gun buyers. out because they want to
stayed at school to discuss main uncertain. Congress their schools or at public “How many more times are show respect for the Col-
gun control and register has shown little inclination parks. we going to stand in me- umbine victims.
their peers to vote. to tighten gun laws, and Several hundred gathered moriam for another school “It was a guilt trip to make
Organizers said an estimat- President Donald Trump at New York City’s Washing- shooting before our poli- us not walk out,” McGary
ed 150,000 students pro- backed away from his ini- ton Square Park, chanting cymakers to actually do said about the threat.
tested Friday at more than The walkouts drew counter-
2,700 walkouts, including protesters in some areas,
at least one in each state, including about 30 at a
as they sought to sustain rally outside New Hamp-
a wave of youth activism shire’s statehouse. In Kan-
that drove a larger round sas, about 200 gun-rights
of walkouts on March 14. supporters held their own
Activists behind that earlier demonstration outside the
protest estimated it drew statehouse. Many carried
nearly 1 million students. signs and flags, and some
HeadCount, a nonprofit brought holstered hand-
group that registers vot- guns.
ers at music events, said Kansas Secretary of State
700 people had signed up Kris Kobach, a Republican
to vote through its web- candidate for governor,
site during the past week. addressed the crowd and
That’s up from just 10 peo- later criticized the walkout
ple in the same period last movement.
year. Spokesman Aaron “Instead of walking out of
Ghitelman credited the up- class, why don’t you stay in
tick to walkout organizers class and spend that half
who steered teens to the Hundreds of students gathered Friday, April 20, 2018, at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minn., to protest hour studying the Second
group’s website. gun violence, part of a national high school walkout on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine Amendment? You might
Friday’s action was shootings. learn something,” Kobach
planned by a Connecticut Associated Press said later.q