News / Society

Colorado students stage walkout to protest gun laws

Wednesday, 28 February 2018 7:52 AM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 28 February 2018 7:54 AM ]

Students and spectators at Old Town square in Fort Collins, Colorado, on Feb. 27, 2018. (Photo via social media)

Students in the US state of Colorado walk out of their classes to protest the country’s gun laws two weeks after 17 people were shot to death at a Florida high school.

Hundreds of students from all five Poudre district high schools in Fort Collins participated in the walkout on Tuesday afternoon and marched to Old Town Square to congregate for an organized protest.

Some were chanting, “This is what democracy looks like,” while others were carrying signs that read; “It’s not my job to know where to hide” and "I want to worry about grades, not guns."

On February 14, a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, killing 17 people and injuring 14 others.

The gunman, a former student who was said to be 19 years old, quietly surrendered to police after opening fire with an assault-style rifle.

“What happened in Florida could happen anywhere,” Misty Hirsch, a student at Senior Liberty High School, said.

Students chant around a memorial poster for Parkland, Florida, shooting victims during a rally, voicing concerns about school safety in Old Town Square on Tuesday, February 27, 2018. (Photo via The Coloradoan)

There were local residents and parents who also joined the demonstration.

“I’m terrified to have my children scared going to school. I have three kids and this affects us everyday. Something has to change,” Angela Paschall, a parent, said.

In response to the walkout, the Poudre School District issued a statement, saying that, "We are aware of the planned student walkout today and honor our students’ right to express their views and opinions in a respectful way. We understand that the right to protest is a time-honored tradition in our country.”

“We certainly would have preferred these activities take place outside of the regular school day,” the statement read.

Students walk down Laporte Avenue to Old Town Square for a rally voicing concerns about school safety on Tuesday, February 27, 2018. (Photo by The Coloradoan)

President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers, who are under immense pressure, have proposed to raise the age limit for buying certain types of firearms.

However, the National Rifle Association, the powerful US gun lobby, did not support the proposals by Trump, who is also suggesting banning bump stocks that enable semi-automatic rifles to shoot hundreds of rounds a minute.

“The NRA doesn’t back any ban,” Dana Loesch said on ABC’s “This Week.”

Trump has also said he supports legislation to tighten background checks for gun buyers, although he has not provided specific details.

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