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'Enough is enough' | Students protested at White House and Capitol

Their goal was to talk to lawmakers face to face.
Credit: Michael Quander

Thousands of students walked out of school on Wednesday across the country and in the D.C. Metropolitan area.

Students came together to stand up against gun violence after the deadly Florida school shooting.

Enough is enough was their message as large groups traveled to the White House and Capitol Hill.

RELATED: DC area students join in on National School Walkout

Their goal was to talk to lawmakers face to face.

“Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! The NRA has got to go,” the crowd chanted.

Students were upset and angry as they called for change.

“We need stricker gun laws because we don’t need stuff like this happening in our country,” a student a Takoma Park Middle School said.

The deadly school shooting in Florida was a turning point for many of the students who walked out of their classrooms.

“I’m kind of scared to go to school because what happened in Florida,” Aaron Stinchcomb said.

“People are fearing for their lives in schools right now which is something that just should not happen when you’re trying to get an education,” another student protester told WUSA9.

After all of the screaming, the students took a moment to be quiet.

The children turned their backs on the White House, sat down, and had 17 minutes of silence.

Each of the quiet minutes stood for one of the 17 victims killed in Florida.

RELATED: 'We deserve better': Students nationwide walk out in massive protest over gun violence

“It is nice to see us come together in a moment of seriousness and a moment of a time of need where everybody needs to come together,” a student at Black High School in Montgomery County explained.

The students took their fight from the executive branch to Congress where they asked for lawmakers to do something.

“I think we should ban assault rifles and also increase background checks,” Ella Osdoba stated.

“We are leaving our classes. We are getting the unexcused absences so that we can go to school and feel safe,” Simone Ashley said.

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