Most of the Greater Houston area is out for spring break, but students at a private school in southwest Houston participated in National Walkout Day.
The day was to protest gun violence and honor the victims who died in the Parkland, Fla., shooting when a gunman entered Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14 and killed 17 people. Students from almost 3,000 schools across the U.S. and as far as Australia, the U.K. and Germany, USA Today reported.
For 17 minutes, about 500 students participated at Emery Weiner School, a private school of sixth through 12th graders. The students walked out to a football field, some of whom stood on the sideline with signs of pictures and information about each victim who died in Parkland. Other students gathered in the bleachers.
“Even thought a lot of people at our school wish we were on spring break right now, I think it’s really important that we are part of this movement,” said senior Ilana Vines, who co-organized the walkout. “I feel really lucky to have a school support us with this walkout.”
Junior David Illouz said he wants to see more done on a
"The adults in this country, especially those in congress and federal government have not done enough to fix this problem, so it's on us," Illouz said.
While the demonstration at Emery/Weiner was student led and organized, school officials were more than happy to provide a platform for students to get their message across.
"They think there is something important about high school kids reaching out and making a statement as it relates to connecting with the kids in Florida, empathizing for the tragedy there and speaking out about the government and society doing something to make their life safer," said Stuart Dow, the head of the school.
At Herron High School near Downtown Indianapolis, 17 students stood in a circle and held photos of those who died in Parkland. Hundreds of students held signs reading "Never again" and "Enough is enough." Some chanted "Make change now!" and "We deserve better!"
In some cities, the message was mixed. In Vero Beach, Fla., about 100 miles north of Parkland, scores of students gathered around a flagpole where their cries of “We want change!” and “Am I next?” were at times met with other students chanting “Trump!” and “We want guns.”
In Haddonfield, N.J., teachers held their own march before school. About 100 students, teachers, parents and administrators came together, many carrying signs or wearing orange ribbons.
Some school districts, including in the Houston area, warned students they would face suspensions if they participated in walkouts.
Curtis Rhodes, the superintendent for the Needville Independent School District, said in a February statement that students who walk out will be suspended for three days.
“A school is a place to learn and grow educationally, emotionally and morally. A disruption of the school will not be tolerated,” Rhodes said. “Life is all about choices and every choice has a consequence whether it be positive or negative.”
There were no walkouts at Needville ISD on Wednesday. The district is on spring break this week.
An Ohio teenager who survived a school shooting said Wednesday's walkouts were disrespectful to the Parkland shooting survivors and encouraged students to honor the victims in a non-political way.
"I feel like violence in our schools and in our society is a much deeper issue, and I feel like it's a little bit simplistic to look at this and point out gun control as the problem," said Logan Cole, who was shot twice by a gunman a point blank range.
USA Today contributed to this report.