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Thousands of students across the state participate in #NationalWalkOutDay

Students in Georgia walked out in droves yesterday in protest of the gun violence that has taken place on campuses around the country.

On March 14, students across the nation participated in #NationalWalkOutDay. In Georgia, there have been reports from nearly every corner of the state of students participating in walkouts, hosting moments of silence and organizing school-wide events.

A student holds a sign that reads "MARCH FOR OUR LIVES" outside of a school

One student from South Georgia, described how writing out the names of all the victims of the Parkland, Fla. shooting was a surreal moment of recognizing just how many of her classmates it could have been. Seventeen students and teachers were killed — and 17 more were wounded — in one of the nation’s deadliest mass shootings.

“I held that stack [of names of the Parkland victims] in my hand and it really resonated with me, like how many students that is. That’s half of one of my classes and it just means a lot,” sophomore Haygan Muse of Lee County High School, said in an interview with WALB.

Another student from middle Georgia spoke about how unsafe he felt and how easy it would be for someone to bring a gun onto campus.

“This is a personal issue, there are a lot of students, myself included, who don’t feel safe at school. It would be very easy to get a weapon inside of this school,” Jacob Caldwell, a senior at Howard High School, told local news station WMAZ.

A group of young people is gathered with signs reading "How many more?" and "Protect Kids not guns".

The responses from school districts have been mixed, with some school leadership supporting student-led actions and others discouraging students from participating or even suspending students who participated.

On March 24, there will be additional opportunities for students, parents, teachers, administrators and concerned citizens alike to participate in rallies and protests urging lawmakers to address the issue of gun safety in schools.

March for Our Lives will be hosting protests and marches around the state, including in both major cities like Atlanta, Athens, Augusta, Columbus and Savannah, as well as in smaller towns like Covington, Dahlonega, Dalton, Ellenwood, Rome and Statesboro. Find the events happening near you here.

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