Westerville high schoolers stage walk out in support of Palestine
Dozens of Westerville North High School students staged a walkout in support of Palestinians Monday amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Westerville City Schools spokesman Greg Viebranz said the 80-100 out of 1,550 students who participated were “well behaved." They gave speeches at the flagpole and walked around the outside of the building once before returning to class. The protest lasted about 20 minutes, Viebranz added.
More than 11,100 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported.
More: Pro-Palestine protesters pack Columbus council again, demand call for Israeli ceasefire
Students were marked absent from class activities they didn’t attend during the walkout, which Viebranz said was district policy for such protests. Staff members observed the walkout to ensure students remained “safe and on campus.”
An email from Principal Kurt Yancey to parents stressed that students have a First Amendment right to free speech at schools, but the protest was not arranged or endorsed by Westerville North High School.
“Thank you in advance for your understanding as we work together to maintain an environment that is not only safe and conducive to the educational process, but also recognizes students’ rights to actively express their feelings and have their voices heard,” Yancey wrote.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Westerville high schoolers walk out of school in support of Palestine
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