As schools across the nation staged 17-minute walkouts for #nationalwalkoutday in tribute to the 17 victims of the Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland, Fla., Hawaii became part of the social media dialogue with its own hashtags: #NeverAgainHI and #EnoughIsEnoughHI.
By Wednesday afternoon, a search for #neveragain on Instagram showed more than 1.3 million posts, and there were more than a million for #enough. Social media was a way for students to organize, as well as to share their experiences and opinions on the Florida tragedy.
The hashtag that resonated most for Arianna Lunow-Luke, a senior and student council president at Le Jardin Academy, was #whatsyour17 — a social media campaign encouraging students to perform 17 acts of kindness. Lunow-Luke, who helped organize the walkout at Le Jardin, said it was a moving experience. Students spontaneously signed a board, explaining what their acts of kindness would be — for example, smiling at 17 people.
She said about 200 students from the elementary, middle and high school joined in the walkout, listening to speeches and walking silently around a loop on campus. Out of respect, many were not taking photos or posting to social media at the time.
Farrington High School students used #govs4safe schools on Twitter and Instagram to help organize their walkout, inviting students to participate, wear a ribbon or write a message to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High.
Punahou School (@puna houschool) took to Instagram to post a photo of students calling government representatives to push for more gun control regulations and a video of students chanting: “No more silence, end gun violence!” with #nationalwalkoutday and #enough.
In addition to Facebook live videos capturing the events of the day, some individuals posted photos, such as nature photographer Nathan Yuen, whose photo showed him holding a sign reading “I Support Students on Guns #neveragain #enoughisenough.”
Gov. David Ige on Wednesday tweeted: “#MarchFor OurLives I joined students at my alma mater, Pearl City HS, this morning to support their initiative to honor each of the 17 students and teachers who lost their lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. #NeverAgain #NationalWalkoutDay #HIGov.”
The photo included a quote: “I’m proud of our students who have raised their voices. They can and will make a difference in increasing school safety and preventing gun violence.” Ige also shared a quote that said: “Hawaii has among the strictest gun laws in the nation, and I will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure school safety.”
Twitter
Luciane Kealoha @lucianekmd
I saw elementary schoolers and high schoolers walkout and manifest for #EnoughIsEnoughHI #NeverAgain and I have so much hope for the future…AND us adults need to step up and continue to step up to support them, amplify their voices, keep them and those who come after them safe
Esther Park @hawaiiest
Keep our campus safe! @InouyeES students lead a campaign for safety, peace, and justice. ✌️ @HIDOE808 #NeverAgain #NeverAgainHI #TeachSDGs #StudentVoice #NationalWalkoutDay #NationalSchoolWalkout – at Daniel K Inouye Elementary
Instagram
@willcaronforhi
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Today we say #Enough. It’s time to end #GunViolence in America, and its young people that are going to do it. All across the country and across #Hawaii, students walked out of their classrooms to demand a future free from the threat of unrestricted gun proliferation in our communities. We demand common sense #GunControl; we demand that our elected leaders prioritize the lives of our children over money from the NRA; we demand a future where the tragedies of MSD, Orlando, Sandy Hook and Columbine #NeverAgain take place. #EnoughIsEnough!
#NeverAgainHI #EnoughIsEnoughHI
Facebook
Nate Yuen
Students all over the country are walking out from school to protest gun violence. Despite the endless stream of school shootings and mass murders congress has done nothing. I stand with students demanding an end to gun violence. #neveragain #neveragainhi #enoughisenough #enoughisenoughhi
