- Let's make like Roy Moore now
and turn our attention to high school kids.
Ever since the shooting in Parkland Florida
young people have been leading the charge
for sensible gun reform and today
on the one month anniversary of that shooting
they kicked things up a notch with a nationwide
school walkout.
That's right.
For once the students evacuated on their own terms.
- Tonight nationwide protests
a sea of students from Parkland to Columbine
marching out of their schools demanding action
to combat gun violence.
- [Anchor] More than 185 thousand students
walking out of classrooms today.
- [Anchor] Washington, New York, Parkland Florida,
St. Paul Minnesota, St. Louis, Denver, Chicago.
- [Anchor] At the Capitol thousands of shoes
make up a memorial to children killed by gun violence.
(chanting)
- As a 12 year old do you really think that
you have the power to make change?
- By myself I don't think I have the power
but together with all these people here
I think we can make a change.
- My man.
(clapping and cheering)
Yeah.
Look at that.
Somebody putting his multiplication to good use, yeah.
(laughing)
We can't let politics divide us.
Carry the three.
I love this.
It's interesting how people keep asking these kids
if they're not too young to protest.
You don't realize some of the biggest political movements
were led by young people.
Right?
Kids fought for civil rights.
Kids fought against apartheid in South Africa.
And to stop the Vietnam War.
And never forget, never forget the inspiring young woman
who used the can of soda to end racism forever.
Don't ever forget that.
And today was a perfect example of how a youth movement
can turn into an everyone movement
because this morning's protest brought in major politicians
like Nancy Pelosi,
crying Chuck Schumer,
no nickname Andrew Cuomo
and they even got the most popular millennial of all,
Bernie.
(laughing)
- Thank you all.
Thank you all for being here today.
We are very proud of what you are doing.
- Do you know how loud you have to be to drown out
Bernie Sanders?
Using a megaphone.
(laughing)
Bernie is so naturally loud he normally uses
the megaphone backwards so he can have an indoor voice.
Shhh the baby's sleeping.
Keep it down.
Now although these kids are fighting for a cause
that seems logical to most,
there are still some who don't agree with the idea
of them marching in the streets.
- [Anchor] The demonstrations are prompting heated debates.
Some schools allowing students to walk out.
Others like this one in New Jersey threatening suspension
if anyone ditches class.
- I would rather my kids be in school safe
and I don't believe this demonstration
is really gonna change anything.
- Wait you don't want kids outside because it's not safe?
The schools are not safe.
That's literally why they're marching.
Yeah. You were like go back to the schools.
That's where the people got shot.
This woman is like the person in a slasher movie
who's like the best thing for us to do
is stay inside the house, okay?
Let's go to the basement.
It's dark there. The killer won't see us.
Okay guys?
And the reason these kids think it's so important to march
especially today is because although the House
passed a school safety bill
it completely left out any provisions
relating to guns.
Which seems like the one thing you shouldn't leave out
of a school safety bill.
It's like a pizza delivery guy saying,
here's your pizza.
We just didn't include the crust.
Enjoy.
In fact there are many politicians including the President
who still think the best solution to this problem
is giving teachers guns.
Yeah.
And upon hearing this idea
the god of irony responded with this.
- [Anchor] As debate rages on nationwide about arming
teachers in the US,
a gun was accidentally fired by a teacher
inside a Seaside High School classroom.
- Was teaching a criminal justice sort of
safety awareness class and accidentally discharged
his firearm into the ceiling.
- [Anchor] Though the gun didn't shoot anyone directly
one student was hurt.
- And fragments from the bullet struck a student
in the neck.
Fortunately there were no serious injuries.
- Sweet Jesus.
A teacher almost shot a kid.
And by the way he isn't just a teacher.
He's a reserve police officer.
Yeah the kind of trained professional
who's supposed to know what he's doing.
I gotta say that teacher better quit because
he's gonna have a hard time scolding his students
after this.
(laughing)
Like imagine you're a kid in his class
and now the teacher tries to yell at you
for talking to a friend.
I'd be like bitch you shot Freddy.
(laughing)
But still a bullet, a bullet fragment hit a child.
Yeah.
And the worst part is that this whole thing
could have been avoided if we just gave that kid's neck
a gun.
(laughing)