Nationwide School Walkout Is Today, 5/26: How to Participate Safely

In response to the devastating school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas this week, students across the U.S. will be participating in a nationwide school walkout today, May 26, in protest of gun violence.

Here are all the details on the walkout, the organizers (Students Demand Action), and how you can participate.

Today, Thursday, May 26, at 12 p.m. ET (that’s 11 a.m. CT, 10 a.m. MT, and 9 a.m. PT), students across the country will get up and walk out of their schools in protest of the nation’s failure to enact gun safety laws, and in honor of the victims of the Uvalde shooting.

According to Students Demand Action, the group organizing the walkout, “We are grieving with the Uvalde community and demanding action from our lawmakers.”

Students Demand Action states that everyone is invited to participate in the walkout today — students of all ages, teachers, school staff, parents, and anyone else who would like to show their support. At 12 p.m. ET (or whenever that is in your time zone), simply “stop whatever you’re doing and simply walk out — into the hallway, out of your school building, whatever feels right to you.”

If you are able, the organization suggests: wearing orange (the color of the gun violence prevention movement); circling your school holding hands; turning the protest into a lie-in; making and carrying a sign with you when you walk out; or doing whatever feels right — and safe — to you.

To ensure that your walkout is as safe as possible, Students Demand Action recommends talking with your teacher, guidance counselor, or administrators in order to get their support. Explain to them that the walkout is not targeted at your school, but at the government and its inaction to protect schools.

If possible, create a simple walkout plan that your administrators approve of, and make sure to spread the word all morning long to get your fellow students involved.

For more tips on how to walk out effectively, check out Students Demand Action’s toolkit here.

The protest is being organized by Students Demand Action, a non-profit organized by “young activists committed to ending gun violence.” The organization launched in 2016 as a pilot, and shortly after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., the group quickly expanded into a national initiative. It is a subsidiary of Everytown for Gun Safety, one of the nation’s largest anti-gun violence groups.

“Enough is enough. We are absolutely devastated for everyone impacted by this senseless act of violence,” Students Demand Action wrote on its website, referring to the shooting in Uvalde. “Once again, gun violence has forced its way into our schools, leaving nothing but devastation, trauma, and tragedy in its wake. Nineteen students and two adults were shot and killed. We need more than thoughts and prayers. We demand action from our lawmakers now.”

“We are grieving with the Uvalde community, a predominantly Latinx community, and everyone else impacted by yet another senseless act of violence in our schools,” the statement continued. “This is yet another tragic example of how pervasive this public health crisis is in our country.”

March For Our Lives is planning a nationwide protest on June 11, with the central protest taking place in Washington, D.C. This comes four years after the tragic Parkland school shooting.