National School Walkout: Here's What To Expect In Reston

RESTON, VA -- A major nationwide walkout of high school students will take place on Wednesday, March 14, and students at local schools are likely to join in.

The walkouts mark the one-month anniversary of when 17 students were gunned down by a teen armed with an AR-15 in Parkland, Fla. The shooting caused a massive uproar and demands for tighter restrictions on guns, but Republicans and the National Rifle Association have resisted any changes to current gun laws.

RestonNow reports South Lakes High School students will stage a walkout as well at 10 a.m. Wednesday, just days after the school was locked down after an active gunman scare that turned out to be false. Herndon High School will also have a walkout.

The walkouts are a prelude to a massive march on the National Mall in D.C. on Saturday, March 24.

The Women's March is helping organize the event through ActionNetwork.org, titling the event "#Enough National School Walkout."

"Women’s March Youth EMPOWER is calling for students, teachers, school administrators, parents and allies to take part in a #NationalSchoolWalkout for 17 minutes at 10am across every time zone on March 14, 2018 to protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods," according to the organization's website. "We need action. Students and allies are organizing the national school walkout to demand Congress pass legislation to keep us safe from gun violence at our schools, on our streets and in our homes and places of worship."

Here is a list of three upcoming national protests aimed at legislative gun reform:

• March 14, 2018, 10 a.m. — National School Walkout. Say event organizers: "Women's March Youth EMPOWER is calling for students, teachers, school administrators, parents and allies to take part in a #NationalSchoolWalkout for 17 minutes at 10am across every time zone on March 14, 2018 to protest Congress' inaction to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools and neighborhoods.
• March 24, 2018 — March For Our Lives. Say event organizers: "On March 24, the kids and families of March For Our Lives will take to the streets of Washington DC to demand that their lives and safety become a priority and that we end gun violence and mass shootings in our schools today. March with us in Washington DC or march in your own community. On March 24, the collective voices of the March For Our Lives movement will be heard.
• April 20, 2018 — National High School Student Walk Out. Say event organizers: "On Friday, April 20th, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting I propose a National High School student walk out. Walk out of school, wear orange and protest online and in your communities. Sign the petition if you pledge to do so. Nothing has changed since Columbine, let us start a movement that lets the government know the time for change is now."

Patch Editors Deb Belt and Kara Seymour contributed.

(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)