Gun violence protest: US students walk out of classes

Students across the United States (US) walked out of their classes on Friday as a part of a National School Walkout over a demand to end gun violence and introduce anti-gun reforms.

The event, which grew out of a petition on the Change.org web site, saw more than 2,000 walkouts nation-wide, with at least one planned in every U.S. state and the District of Columbia, reports the New York Times.

Student Lane Murdock launched the National School Walkout campaign in the wake of the Parkland shooting in Florida.

Friday's National School Walkout marked the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre in Colorado, several media reports said.

On this day in 1999, two gunmen killed 12 students and a teacher at the Columbine High School in Colorado.

Participants reportedly also observed 13 seconds of silence in honour of the 13 victims of the Columbine shooting.

The walkout's website said the event's goals were to "hold elected officials accountable," to advocate "solutions to gun violence," and to encourage students to be more engaged in politics.

This was the third major student-led action since the Parkland shooting which took place on February 14.

On February 14, 2018, at least 17 people - children and adults - were killed in a shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

On March 24, the public, primarily students across the United States also held a "March for Our Lives" rally pressing for stricter gun control measures after the attack.