Students in US Call for Nationwide Protest

Thousands of students across the United States walked out of class to demand strict gun laws in a historic show of solidarity with slogans “Enough is Enough”, “No more silence”, “We want change”. This walk out were part of the protest over series of gun violence in United States over the years, mainly prompted by the massacre at the Florida high school recently.

The main objectives of these students' protests is to put pressure on federal and state lawmakers to strengthens laws on gun ownership, despite opposition by the National Rifle Association (NRA), the powerful gun rights advocacy group. 

The demonstrations started on 14th March, exactly one month after the gruesome shooting at the Florida school. It continued throughout the day in all the major cities of United States. Wearing orange shirts, the color adopted by the gun control movement and waving signs, students and supporters marched through the streets and rallied in front of government buildings, calling on lawmakers to do something before another school falls victim to such gun violence. 

Students from more than 3,000 schools and groups joined the walkouts. Many school supported the walkouts, while many have warned their students against participating in the protest march. Though many students defied the warnings and left school anyway to join the protests.

The walkouts began at 10 a.m. local time in each time zone and were scheduled to last 17 minutes. The duration was a tribute to 17 students and staff killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14th. It was the latest in a series of shootings that have affected schools and colleges in United States over the past two decades. 

What happened in Parkland?

The attack on Valentine's Day, 14 February, was the deadliest US school shooting since 2012.The former pupil arrived on campus and began shooting students and staff before abandoning the weapon and escaping, according to court documents. Fourteen students and three members of staff died. US prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the attacker who has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder. 

The protest march by students also reached the school, where the gruesome incident happened a month ago. The football ground of the Stoneman Douglas school, started to fill slowly as the number of protesting students increased, with the applause of families and supporters beyond the fences on the gallery, as the law enforcement officers looked on. “We want change!” students chanted on the sidewalks outside the school. “Can you hear the children screaming?” read one of the signs. 

The ongoing student protests in the form of walkouts and protest march are a part of the burgeoning, grassroots movement inspired by Parkland gun attack and came 10 days before major protests planned in Washington and elsewhere. Survivors have lobbied lawmakers and President Donald Trump in a push for new restrictions on gun ownership, a right protected by the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment. 

The students marched on to the U.S. Capitol, the power center of United Stats with chanting, “hey hey, ho ho, the NRA has got to go!”  where Democratic lawmakers emerged from the white-domed landmark to praise them as they know many of these students will be able to vote by 2020.

How have the authorities responded?

While demonstrations continued, the US House of Representatives passed a bill to fund more security at schools. While the bill had bipartisan support, many Democrats were frustrated that it doesn't include any gun control measures. Meanwhile, in Illinois, the state Senate passed a bill that raises the legal age to buy assault weapons to 21.

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday voted 407-10 in support of a bill to authorize $50m (£36m) in federal grants for training, anonymous reporting systems, threat assessments, intervention teams and school and police coordination. It does not address gun control. 

It is unclear when the Senate, which is expected to take up a separate measure to strengthen background checks for gun buyers, will consider the bill. The House measure would not allow the approved funding to be used to arm teachers or school personnel, a provision the White House has backed. President Trump tweeted his support of the bill on Wednesday afternoon.

The White House has proposed an action plan to: 

• Fund programs to train school staff to use firearms

• Encourage military veterans and retired police officers to become teachers

• Improve background and mental health checks

Reacting on the government initiative to highlight the issue, leader of the opposition Democrats in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said the White House's action plan as “baby steps”. The demands of the students are justified and needs more attention from lawmakers to introduce strict laws before any such gun shooting incidents happen again.