Amid School Walkouts, Pennsylvania Students Arrange Backpacks in Shape of Heart on Football Field

Students across the nation walked out of their classrooms at 10 a.m. Wednesday in a bid to push for stricter gun laws in the wake of the Parkland school shooting.

The walkout occurred exactly one month after a gunman opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The demonstrations were held for 17 minutes to commemorate the 17 lives lost in the shooting. 

There was a massive makeshift memorial constructed outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as the students arrived to class Wednesday morning. 

In Venice, Calif., 17 desks were laid out on the school lawn, each with a flower, to mourn the loss of the deceased. 

In Glen Mills, Pa., backpacks were placed on the football field in a shape of a heart.  

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo joined protests in New York City.

In Granada Hills, Calif., students filed onto the football field spelling out the word "ENOUGH!"

In Washington D.C., students gathered outside the White House to demand tighter gun laws. 

The topics, #NationalWalkOutDay and #NationalSchoolWalkout were trending on Twitter, with many posting images of what they were witnessing. 

Nickelodeon and other Viacom-owned networks like MTV, BET and Comedy Central all broadcast blank screens for 17 minutes in solidarity with the students. 

The walkouts came as shooter Nikolas Cruz appeared in court for his arraignment. He has pleaded not guilty to 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder in connection with the mass shooting.

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