BUMC Students Organize Walkout in Support of #ENOUGH, Gun Violence Prevention

com walkout

On Wednesday, March 14, more than 300 Boston University Medical Campus students, faculty and staff walked out of their classes and offices in their white coats or adorned in orange to demonstrate solidarity with the victims of gun violence in Parkland, Fla., and other cities and towns around the country.

Watch the walkout on Facebook live!

The walkout was a combination memorial and protest action. Participants wanted to honor the lives of the 17 killed at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, as well as send a message to state and federal lawmakers to pass stricter gun control laws.  See the Facebook album for more images of the walkout.

The walkout, held at 10 a.m., was one of more than 3000 that occurred simultaneously across each time zone at locations across the country as part of a national program called “#Enough: National School Walkout,” which was coordinated by young people within Women’s March Youth Empower. The BUMC event was a joint effort between BUSM medical students and the BUSPH Activist Lab, with participation from Boston Medical Center.

Event speakers included Eileen Costello, Chief of Ambulatory Pedicatrics, Boston Medical Center and BUSM Instructor of Medicine; Harold Cox,  BUSPH Associate Dean of the Public Health Practice and Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences; Anita Knopov, BUSM ‘19; Aldina Mesic, BUSPH ‘18; Rebecca Webb, BUSM ‘20.

“We’re here today because 17 people were killed.  Seventeen people lost their lives because of a senseless, selfish act by a person with a gun.  This has happened again and again.  We are here to say one simple word, ‘Enough!’, said Cox.

“As medical professionals we know that the problem of gun violence goes far beyond the mass shootings covered by the media.  We know that there were nearly 38,000 gun deaths in the United States in 2016.  We know that firearms are the third-leading cause of death for children in the US.  We know that on average, 96 people die from firearm-related injuries every day,” Webb said.

“At Boston Medical Center, we understand the tremendous impact the gun epidemic has on the communities we serve.  As the largest safety net hospital in New England and a Level 1 trauma center, we treat the victims of gun violence on a daily basis..(and want) to remind the world that Gun Reform is Healthcare Reform, and that Gun violence is a Public Health Issue,” said Webb.

“Today we stand here to say, ‘Enough.’  We say enough to an endless cycle of violence and inaction.  We say enough to the undue influence of the NRA.  We say enough congressional inaction,” said Mesic.

“Let us not forget the inspiring example set by the students of Stoneman Douglas High School, who in the face of tragedy have mobilized.  They have used the national spotlight to urge political and corporate leaders to address gun violence.  They have pressured dozens of companies into cutting ties with the NRA.  They have pushed retailers to restrict the sales of assault rifles. Their tireless effort has shifted our national dialog and have brought us here to the national school walkout,” said Knopov.

The walkout was followed by a BUSPH Dean’s Seminar, “#Enough: Community Forum on Gun Violence. Moderated by Cox the panelists included David Jones, Assistant Professor of Health Law, Policy & Management; Michael Siegel, Professor of Community Health Sciences; Michael Ulrich, Assistant Professor of Health Law, Policy & Management; and Ziming Xuan, Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences.