RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Thousands of students in Virginia plan to walk out of school Friday as part of a nationwide protest against gun violence on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre.
The National School Walkout has been organized in response to the mass shooting in February in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 students and faculty members dead.
In Virginia, Richmond-area students plan to leave school at 10 a.m., then to hold a voter registration drive on Brown's Island. Later, the students will march to the State Capitol to hold a rally featuring students, legislators and leaders from around Virginia.
Student organizers say they're expecting more than 10,000 people. They say the walkout and rally are aimed at protesting the government's "inaction and inability" to address school shootings and gun violence.
