GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Thursday, during the middle of the school day, more than 100 students walked out of City High Middle School in Grand Rapids to protest the new backpack ban.
Grand Rapids Public Schools issued a district-wide backpack ban Wednesday after two elementary students were found with guns within a week.
READ MORE: Backpacks banned from GRPS after loaded gun found on 3rd grader
“We agree with the scholars about the speed with which this had to happen, but we feel that safety is urgent. When we’ve got a young person coming in to school with a loaded gun with a bullet in the chamber, our response to that is urgent. That’s what we’re communicating with the decision we made yesterday,” GRPS spokesperson Leon Hendrix said.
Students will not face disciplinary action for the walkout, according to school leaders. The walkout was organized on social media.
“Why aren’t we doing truly our best, instead of banning backpacks? There are so many other ways to bring guns into school,” City High Middle School freshman Naiara Tamminga said.
Students say more meaningful gun control would make a real difference— not banning backpacks.
