Bangor High School officials blocked press coverage of a walkout and rally meant to highlight students’ concerns about school shootings.
A Bangor Daily News reporter was escorted off the public school’s property by police at the request of school administration.
Principal Paul Butler said the school chose to bar outsiders from school grounds for security reasons. Members of the press — or anyone else who wished to enter the school drive from 10-10:17 a.m., when the walkout occurred — were to be turned away by Bangor police and school staff, he said.
[‘You need to shout’: Maine students continue gun protests]
“To make sure that it was a safe environment and to let students totally lead and organize their efforts, we made the decision not to let visitors, outside organizations, and media not on school property,” Superintendent Betsy Webb said afterwards, adding that students were told that by making the demonstration a public event, staff wouldn’t be allowed to supervise them.
About 150 students participated in various kinds of demonstrations and related events inside and outside of the high school, she said.
The decision came amid a week of demonstrations around the country that got widespread media coverage. Thousands of high school students walked out of classes to protest gun violence and to honor the 17 teen killed last month in Parkland, Florida.
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