John Matthews
WMAL.com
ROCKVILLE — Students from at least three Montgomery County high schools are planning to meet up at Union Station Wednesday morning, then march to the east side of the U.S. Capitol as a show of solidarity with Florida students who will be meeting with President Trump in a “listening session.”
Teens organized the rally on Facebook. The plans involve students from Richard Montgomery, Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Montgomery Blair high schools leaving their campuses at 9:30 am, then traveling via Metro to Capitol Hill. The students plan to rally at the Capitol, where they will be greeted by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), among others.
“All people in this country, particularly children, should feel safe and should not live in fear of a gunman killing them in their school, place of worship, or a nightclub,” organizers wrote in a statement posted on Facebook. “We expect our leaders to do whatever is required to keep us safe. That has not happened.”
A spokeswoman for Montgomery County Public Schools says the trip is unauthorized, and any student absences shall be regarded as unexcused. As an alternative, some school principals are creating opportunities for students to have their voices heard in assemblies and other activities on school campuses.
Blair Principal Renay Johnson tried to discourage participation in the off-campus rally in a message sent to parents Tuesday, saying “While we support the desire of our students to express their opinions, we do not support students disrupting the school day or doing so in a manner that would jeopardize their own safety.”
Student organizers hope to draw 100 to 150 students from each of the three high schools to attend the Capitol Hill rally.
A nationwide student rally is scheduled for Friday, April 20th, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings in Colorado.
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