SMC Students March Wednesday In National School Walkouts

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — Thousands of students were expected to march Wednesday morning on the Peninsula, as they share their collective voice in National School Walkout Day. One month to the day after the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida left 17 people dead, high school students across the United States will walk out of class as part of a nationwide effort "to protest Congress' inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods."

Thousands of schools, including many in California, were expected to participate in the #ENOUGH National School Walkout student demonstrations Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. Most of the walkouts are expected to last 17 minutes — one minute for each life lost — but some Peninsula students will likely miss a significant amount more of class time.

Menlo Park police said they expected as many as 1,500 to 2,000 area students to take part in a local walkout and march across town.

"Students from Menlo Atherton High School, Menlo School and Sacred Heart School (among others) are expected to join the walkout and march from Atherton through Menlo Park and ending at El Camino Park in Palo Alto," police said.

The students used Valparaiso Avenue, University Drive, Oak Grove Avenue and El Camino Real for their march, according to police.

"Police will be on hand to assist with the safe and peaceful demonstration," Menlo Park PD said. "Traffic is expected to be heavily impacted on all of the streets mentioned, especially on El Camino Real from Atherton to Palo Alto."

Police said detours may be in place, depending on how many students join in.

"The City of Menlo Park, in cooperation with the Town of Atherton and City of Palo Alto, thank you for your attention and understanding as we work to ensure the safety of the students and the public during this peaceful demonstration," police said.

Over in the San Mateo Union High School District, officials also expected students to take place in the walkouts. However, their plans tend to be more in line with what the majority of schools are doing in the nation, and staying on campus during the 17 minutes.

"At each of our schools, students, with staff support, will participate in various types of activities to commemorate the one month anniversary of this tragic episode of school violence," the district said on its website. "There is no expectation that students participate, but we do expect students to stay on campus and behave peacefully. You should also know that there are other, non-school related activities being organized for the non-school day of Saturday, March 24 related to school violence."

Is YOUR student taking place in a walkout? Let us know from what school in the comments below!

Photo by Patch Editor Autumn Johnson