Over 50 students from Hamilton High School "walked out" of classes at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 14, as part of national rally against school violence and to remember the 17 victims of the recent Florida school shooting.

The students walked across the street from the high school to the lawn of First Christian Church. There, commemorative bows had been prepared for placement on an evergreen tree as the names of the Florida students and teachers were read on a public address system.

The students joined a crowd of about 80 adults, who arrived in support of the walk out. The crowd displayed signs to passing motorists and broke into applause at the end of the short ceremony. One of the student organizers, Grace Kemp, said she wanted Hamilton to be part of the national rally, which happened at 10 a.m. in each time zone of the U.S. Wednesday. And, yes, the students who participated now face detention for leaving class.

Hamilton High Principal Dan Kimsey, in a school-wide announcement before the rally, encouraged the student body to respect each other's beliefs, whether they walked out or not. He said he was extremely proud of the students' behavior during the past few weeks.

hamilton rally
Signs along the roadway. (Steve Fullerton, Townsquare Media)
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