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Making Their Voices Heard: Students Walk Out In Protest

Across the country, students fed up with gun violence are standing up, and walking out of classrooms, trying to make a statement that adults and lawmakers will notice.

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Across the country, students fed up with gun violence are standing up, and walking out of classrooms, trying to make a statement that adults and lawmakers will notice.

After the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida last week, the student-led gun reform movement has spread, and made its way here to the Triad.

On Friday, more than 400 Grimsley High School students walked out of class to honor the 17 people killed in Parkland, Florida. That organized walk-out sparked heated reaction, both for and against the students' actions.

“We just had a lot of support from each other that we have never seen in school before, we all kind of had something to say and, we walked away from it as one and not separated,” said junior Ashley Jenkins.

Most of them are under 18 years old, meaning they're too young to make their voice heard by voting, but they say that doesn't matter.

“Do as much as you can to get your voice heard,” said Sara Jado, “Because today they say kids are too self-centered, or they're worried about their cellphones but I feel like we are The future and we will make the difference.”

Jado, the walkout organizer, says they've got tools other generations never had.

“We walkouts trending right now on Twitter, we have national walkouts on Snapchat, and Facebook… I heard Facebook is trending right now,” she said.

With those trends came the backlash, many writing students should be punished for participating, or calling the protest 'disrespectful.’

However, other parents believe this exactly what they taught their children to do, and are proud of their actions.

“I like the fact that he had the ability and the wherewithal to make his own decision about participating, and about doing it in a way that is respectful, and in a way that allows his voice to be heard,” said Jason Knight, a Grimsley parent.

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