National School Walkout: Nationwide walkouts protesting gun violence held on Columbine anniversary
WASHINGTON - Students across the country held another wave of school walkouts to honor victims of gun violence and to push for gun control.
The latest demonstrations took place on Friday, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting that left 13 people dead in Littleton, Colorado.
Organizers told the Associated Press that more than 2,600 demonstrations were planned from Maine to Hawaii. In March, thousand of walkouts nationwide were organized in a day of collective school protest.
Many students wore orange and left class around 10 a.m. A moment of silence was held for victims of Columbine and other shootings. At Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School outside of Washington, D.C., students demonstrated and hung over 100 shirts with names of child gun violence victims written on them on them on the fence surrounding the school complex.
The latest demonstrations follow a surge of youth activism following the February mass shooting that left 17 dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Outside of the White House, students rallied for gun control and planned a march to the U.S. Capitol. At Columbine High School, classes are canceled for a day of service.
The Associated Press contributed to this article