Washington, March 15 (RHC)-- In the wake of the most recent massacre at a school in Florida, tens of thous ands of students across the United States walked out of their schools Wednesday to protest U.S. Congress failure to directly address gun violence.

It is estimated that the protests involved about 3,000 schools nation-wide. The walkouts began at 10 a.m. local time in each time zone and were scheduled to last 17 minutes. Many rallies went longer.

The duration was a tribute to 17 students and staff killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14

Some students held up signs reading “Our Blood, Your Hands,” and chanting slogans like “Enough is enough”, “No more silence” and “We want change”, condemning the National Rifle Association, the NRA.

There were also protests outside the U.S. Capitol and at the White House, where students turned their backs to the Executive Mansion in silence.

As parts of ongoing efforts to address this issue, students anti-gun violence activists are calling for the March for Our Lives rally for school safety.

It is scheduled for Saturday, March 24th, and is expected to draw hundreds of thousands to Washington, DC.

Another round of walkouts is planned for April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado.