Iowa students join National School Walkout to call on Congress for gun reform

Students walked out of classes across Iowa this morning, joining a National Student Walkout to call for gun reform.

Teens across the nation joined together at 10 a.m. local time to honor the 17 victims of the Parkland school shooting by demonstrating for 17 minutes.

Many Iowa schools are on spring break, including most in the Des Moines area, making participation limited.

However, demonstrations were held outside schools in Davenport, Dubuque, Fairfield, Grinnell and Iowa Falls, among others.

"We just want to show our solidarity with Parkland," said Oswaldo Ambrosia, a student organizer at Grinnell High School. "We don’t have to wait for the same thing to happen again."

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About 200 teens walked out of Iowa Falls-Algen High this morning, roughly half of the school, said Elizabeth Michaelson, 16.

Teens read the names of the 17 Parkland victims and information about each student and staff member killed.

It was an emotional memorial, and a stark reminder of last school year, when an Iowa Falls-Alden teen posted what appeared to be a threatening photo online.

"When I say goodbye to my mom, I'm afraid it's the last time I'm going to say goodbye to them," said Michaelson, a demonstration organizer. "As a 16 year old girl, I shouldn't have to think that."

In addition, some Iowa students counter-protested on Thursday — and advocated for Second Amendment rights.

► Des Moines students walk out of school March 1 in protest of gun violence

Additional protests have been held or are planned for later this spring as the National School Walkout fell during spring break. More demonstrations are planned for when classes are back in session.

“We’re students, and instead of focusing on algebra, focusing on pre-calculus, we’re focusing on our lives and how to have what happened at Parkland and what happened at Virginia Tech and what happened at Columbine not happen here,” said Lujayn Hamad, a senior at West High School in Iowa City.

A march in coincide with the March For Our Lives demonstration in Washington, D.C., is scheduled in Des Moines at the state capitol and in Iowa City on March 24.

Other Iowa schools are organizing walkouts for the anniversary of the Columbine school shooting, April 20.

Here's just a few posts from social media on the Nation School Walkout demonstrations in Iowa:

Staff writer Aimee Breaux and Dann Hayes contributed to this story.