Students from Sanford MiddleSchool staged a walk-out to protest gun violence.
BY STEPHANIE FOX
Students from Sanford Middle School walked out of their 6th grade class at noon on Sept. 5 and headed to Longfellow Park with hand drawn signs saying “Stop Gun Violence.” This was one of the many protests following the mass school shooting at nearby Annunciation School, only five miles from the protest, a week before.
As they stood on the corner of 36th Avenue and 35th Street, drivers passing by gave only positive feedback, honking, waving and cheering them on.
The only report of a negative reaction came from one man who slowed down enough to inform the kids, “I love my guns.” But that didn’t seem to bother them. They knew that their cause was just.
The protesters motivations varied. Some had friends who attend Annunciation. Others said that the second after they heard about the shooting they knew something had to be done.
Stuffed animals and flowers create a memorial at the
Annunciation Catholic Church sign.
The students reported that the walkout came as a surprise to their teachers.
“The teachers were shocked when half the class stood up and walked out at noon,” said one. Later, the 6th graders were joined by a group of 7th grade students from their school.
This was just one of the many protests around Minneapolis, St. Paul and around the country demanding that state and federal lawmakers from both political parties pass laws banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. The protest was coordinated by Students Demand Action, and the students hope that this and other protests will pressure lawmakers to stand up to the gun lobby. In Minnesota, House GOP announced solutions to school shootings to increase school security and mental health treatment, but there were no mentions of guns in their proposals.
