Utah students expected to participate in National School Walkout
Mar 14, 2018, 6:45 AM | Updated: 11:34 pm
COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — Students across Utah have expressed interest in participating in the “National School Walkout” Wednesday, the one-month anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, shooting.
The movement is expected to not only be a memorial to remember the 17 lives tragically lost there, but also a protest for safer schools. Since the shooting, students around the nation have become activists, pushing lawmakers for safer gun laws.
Jeff Haney, a spokesperson for the Canyons School District, said they have experienced six spur-of-the-moment protests from students since last month. He said this is why their district is being very transparent with students, giving them the opportunity to participate in the National School Walkout and a similar protest expected to occur nationally on the anniversary of the Columbine Shooting April 20 without repercussions.
He said while this a politically charged conversation, the district remains neutral about their stance on gun control issues, but they want to give students a safe environment to participate and express their views. Haney encourages parents to talk with their children about the walkout.
Movement organizers ask folks not affiliated with a school to stay away for safety reasons.
