Tens of thousands of metro Atlanta students protested gun violence in schools Wednesday, as National School Walkout demonstrations took place around the nation.
Students in the Atlanta, DeKalb, Cherokee, Clayton, Fulton and other metro systems walked out of class for 17 minutes, one minute for each of the 17 lives taken in the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
Nationwide, students from almost 3,000 schools marked the event by leaving their classrooms at 10 a.m. local times to show solidarity for the victims.
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► In Cobb County, 11Alive received reports that doors were blocked by teachers and police at some schools in an alleged effort to prevent students from participating in any demonstrations. However, a Cobb County school spokesman said there was no truth to those reports, and no student was prevented from leaving.
Cobb County students walk out in protest despite warnings from administrators:
► 11Alive also received reports of teachers blocking the doors at the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology. A spokesman for Gwinnett County schools said "no one was physically stopped from going out or told they could not. We did ask students not to go out as this is not something our district condoned." A total of 33 students walked out from this school.
► At the state capitol, several lawmakers staged their own walkout to protest gun violence. Watch below:
MORE COVERAGE FROM AROUND METRO ATLANTA:
Washington High students kneel in school hallways:
Chamblee High School students gather in front of the school:
Grady High School students march around their school track:
Central Gwinnett High School students link arms:
Watch Inman Middle School students protest gun violence:
Watch North Atlanta High School students walk out:
PHOTOS | Students around metro Atlanta participate in National School Walkout
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