NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — More students around the country are making their voices heard by taking part in walkouts on National School Walkout Day after the deadly shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville.
Several protests are planned in downtown Nashville on Thursday. Hundreds of thousands will be packing the streets to protest and demand change.
Many of the people will gather for the three members of the Tennessee House facing expulsion. The demonstration is called Justice for the #TennesseeThree.
Thousands are expected to protest tomorrow morning in Downtown Nashville. People will show up to support 3 TN House Members facing expulsion. Also teachers will be calling out sick to rally at legislative plaza to demand gun reform. They’ll be join by students too. pic.twitter.com/EodSRNu8At
— Aaron Cantrell (@AaronTheNewsGuy) April 5, 2023
There’s also the Nashville Student Rally happening. They want to honor the school shooting victims and demand for better-protected schools. They will be joined by teachers and parents to part of a rally called "Teacher Sick Out."
One of the organizers Lucy Grunkemeyer, who is also a first-grade teacher, said so many teachers have wanted to participate in the other rallies but couldn’t. This will be an opportunity for them to do so since Metro Nashville Public Schools is out on Thursday. Students don’t have class, and teachers don’t have to worry about losing a day of learning.
"I anticipate Thursday being massive because people are all coming for the same purpose. We need legislators to know that they need to protect children. They don’t need to be protecting guns. I think we have just got the point where educators are fed up with having this mental weight on us daily," Grunkemeyer said.
Some clergy leaders got a jump start on protesting. Packing into Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton's office asking to speak with him on Wednesday. They don't understand why the three Democrats, Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, and Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, are facing expulsion.
Pastor Ingrid McIntyre said protesting is a right and it's important to make change happen.
"The more people that fill these halls, offices, chambers, gallery and plaza, the more we’re saying we are paying attention. We see what’s happening, and we are going to hold you accountable at the polls," McIntyre said.
For the protest tomorrow, students will be dressed in red and black to honor The Covenant School shooting victims. Teachers will be wearing red also to support the victims.
The color is also something Metro School teachers wear once a week to show solidarity for the need of better pay and to have a fully funded school.
Learn more about the "Tennessee Three" rally, here.
