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Dozens of students stage 'walk out' protest in Newton County

It's the latest of many in progress or planned in metro Atlanta and across the country to bring attention to school safety issues following a mass shooting in Florida on Feb. 14.

COVINGTON, Ga. -- Authorities say several students in a metro Atlanta school staged on walk-out on Monday - the latest of several to do so around the country following a school shooting in Florida that killed 17.

Newton County School System spokesperson Sherri Davis said that around 8:30 a.m., about 60 students at Newton County High School left their classroom - about two-thirds of which continued to protest on campus through 2 p.m.

Here is how local school districts are handling student walkouts

Students around the U.S. have protested over a combination of school safety concerns and a controversial suggestion by President Donald Trump to arm teachers. Proponents believe this could prevent another mass shooting while others believe the move would be inappropriate - and dangerous to students - in a school setting.

"Respecting the students right to peacefully protest, school principal, Dr. SHannon Buff, provided a safe area for the students to conduct their demonstration," Davis said. "One that did not block any entrances or exits to the building."

Davis said the protests remained calm and peaceful throughout the day.

Across metro Atlanta, school system responses to proposed "walk-out" protests have varied. Some systems have offered a campus location to allow protests while others have threatened to discipline students for disrupting class time.

Many other protests are planned across the metro and Atlanta on March 14. That march is allegedly planned to only last 17 minutes - symbolic of the 17 students killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14.

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