SEE: Harlem Students Participate In National Gun Violence Protest

HARLEM, NY — Hundreds of students from Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science and Engineering in Harlem walked out of class at 10 a.m. Tuesday to participate in a national tribute to the 17 victims of the Parkland, Florida school shooting.

Students from the Columbia Secondary's middle and high school grades — many brandishing handmade signs — funneled into the school courtyard where they formed a massive circle. After holding a moment of silence for the victims of the Parkland school shooting, members of the student government gave speeches and led chants.

The walkout was entirely organized by the school's student government, junior representative Ethan Rubin said. Before the walkout, students and teachers at Columbia Secondary School talked about the "civic duty" students have and how bullying can lead to gun violence, Rubin said.

Rubin said he thinks the nationwide protests could create "momentum" for gun control across the country, even in conservative states, and will inspire students to vote in this year's midterm elections.

"We are the next generation," Rubin said. "We have to be just as active as anyone else, if not more."

After about 20 minutes, a group of high school students led a march down the streets of Harlem. The first stop was Borough President Gale Brewer's northern Manhattan district office. The borough president addressed the students and helped sign students up for the March for Our Lives — an anti-gun violence protest taking place later this month.

Brewer congratulated the Columbia Secondary School students on their walkout and said that she noticed similar protests throughout the borough.

"I just came up from where I teach at Hunter and every street is line with high school students everywhere," Brewer said. "I want to thank everybody for making this possible — you are the future."

From the borough president's office students marched down West 125th Street to the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building to protest Congress' inaction on gun control and meet with representatives of Congressman Adriano Espaillat.

While a group of students met with Espaillat's staff members inside, the rest of the students held a rally in the building's plaza. Students led cheers demanding federal gun control and criticizing plans to put more guns in schools.

Ninth grader Jade Gayle said that she participated in the walkout because of a "hope for a safer school." The protest was a big topic of conversation at school and at home, Gayle said.

"We just want safety," Gayle said. "Yeah we're young, but not too young to speak out minds."

Watch the walkout below:

Photos by Patch