'We did it in support of those who died' 25 Du Quoin students join national walkout in memory of Parkland massacre

DU QUOIN - They stood silently at the flagpole for 17 minutes on Wednesday; 25 Du Quoin High School students who joined National Walkout Day in memory of the students gunned down one month ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

It was windy, and chilly. The small group of Du Quoin students did not talk, or engage. A girl laid down one flower for each student killed at Parkland. A woman who said her daughter was one of the protesters walked over to the students with a red, white and blue poster board that contained the names of the students who were killed.

School officials, who were watching the demonstration from a distance, asked her to leave. She did.

Senior Kiley Emling, who was among the Du Quoin protesters, said the walkout here was done largely to honor the Florida students who were killed Feb. 14 by a fellow student armed with an assault rifle.

"In my opinion, we did it in support of those who died. That way we have a memorable moment to think about," she said.

The school shooting in Parkland, Florida has galvanized the survivors. They are demanding change in the nation's gun laws, and all over the country on Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of high school students walked out of class - or made another gesture - in support of their efforts.

Emling added that bringing about change in the gun laws is important to the Du Quoin demonstrators, too.

"It's about taking action because we do need change," she said. "Otherwise, it's just going to keep happening."

Asked if there was a specific message the demonstrators at Du Quoin High School want to send to local politicians, Emling said, "Just remember it (a shooting) can happen anywhere, even at small schools like ours."

Du Quoin High School Principal Matt Hickam, said this was the first nationally organized student walkout the school has ever had to prepare for.

He called it a "teachable moment for everybody involved ... students, teachers, administrators, parents.

"It's a fine line for us (as educators) to walk between protecting the right to an education and students having the right to freedom of expression," he added.

Hickam said students had to make a choice - stay in class or participate in an act of civil disobedience that would result in them getting tagged with an unexcused absence. There is, as he reminded students in a letter prior to the walkout, a price that comes with breaking the rules, and students were aware of the consequences before walking out.

"I understand both sides of the equation. I am a former social studies teacher," he said.

Hickam added that while organizers of the national movement intended the walkout to pressure Congress to take action on gun legislation, his impression is that the Du Quoin students considered it more as a way to honor the victims of Parkland.

"I don't know where they're at with gun legislation and I don't need to know," he added.

Du Quoin Call staffer Devan Vaughn contributed to this report.