ROCKPORT – Nationally students staged a walkout to end gun violence on Wednesday, March 14. Because heavy snowfall had resulted in school cancellations that day in the Midcoast, students at Camden Hills Regional High School staged their protest on Thursday, March 15 at 11 a.m. The message was the same that was echoed across the nation: "We will not be silent. We want change."

Moved by the recent shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 students and staff died, students across the country called out politicians for not doing more.

It is estimated more than 200,000 students nationwide are all echoing the same sentiment on the one month anniversary of the Parkland massacre,

"We are the voice of the future and the people," said Pearl Benjamin, a student at Camden Hills.

According to Snopes.com, of the 170 school shootings since Columbine (14 in 2018 alone), this one outspoken act has done more to effect change in gun laws, according to published news reports.

"This will change or we will change it," other Camden Hills students said.

At Camden Hills Regional High School, approximately 250-plus students participated in the walkout. Parents and the community at large were asked to stay away during the student's walkout.

Shawn Carlson, principal at CHRHS, said the administrators thought it would be best to limit the number of community members who might want to attend and participate.

Cars were stopped at the gate, and while no one was turned away, visitors were asked to sign in.

"Honestly, if people come and they want to come in we'll let them," said Carlson. "And there's another reason why we think this is appropriate. We really want the kids to have a voice here and let them express themselves."

Carlson said there a numerous ways and a number of places the community can express their voices.

Since the walkout was delayed by a day, schedules at the school were shuffled to accommodate the students.

"We took our break and moved it to this period, so our break will start at 11 a.m.," said Carlson. "The student leaders were OK with an 11 a.m. start as the 10 a.m. start was really not as important today. It will still last 17 minutes."

Carlson said the school is trying hard not to take one position or the other.

"I've shared with parents and I've shared with kids that this one of our rolls," he said. "To give kids a chance to practice democracy, to take ownership to our culture and our society. To that end I think it's not an inappropriate activity. What I've let all students know and I will continue to do so is that if this were to become an ongoing thing where students wanted to express themselves, all I'm asking is that they keep us informed and that they schedule it for our breaks."

Carlson noted that it is interesting that this is one of the first times across the country there is a unified interest among students.

"What I'm getting a sense of is not how do we regulate or not regulate guns," he said. "What I'm hearing is a real appreciation for is that as a culture we not doing a really good job of being able to have civil discourse. I've heard from the kids and I think we'll see based on the short plan this year is that they really want to recognize these people who lost their lives. And take some time to memorialize them."

Carlson said that if there are political statements they are much more likely to be on placards.

"As I said, we're taking a, hands off approach," Carlson said. "We're trying to provide a safe venue and a reasonable way to pull it off.

A similar protest was made at Camden Rockport Middle School this morning as 50 students walked out to protest gun violence and make a plea to lawmakers.