Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school is implementing a new rule in hopes of preventing the gun violence that left 17 dead at the South Florida school on Feb. 14. Many of its students, however, are not happy with the change.
Beginning after spring break, all students will have to wear clear backpacks, Robert W. Runcie, the superintendent of Broward County Public Schools, announced on Wednesday, according to The New York Times.
If students can’t afford a clear backpack, Runcie said in the announcement letter he sent to students and parents, the district will provide them for free.
In addition, students and staff will be required to carry ID badges with them at all times during school hours. Runcie added the district is considering metal detectors at all school entrances.
In the last month, officials found two students at the South Florida high school with knives on campus and officers arrested another student for making threats on social media. On Monday, authorities arrested the younger brother of accused gunman Nikolas Cruz for trespassing on school grounds.
While school safety should be a priority, many Marjory Stoneman Douglas students are not happy with the announcement of the new rule, which comes just days before the student-led March for Our Lives is set to take place in Washington, D.C.
Some students pointed out that clear backpacks are not going to stop gun violence, while others said the change will make their school look like a prison.
The students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas have been pushing for gun law reform since the massacre last month. Their social media campaign, #NeverAgain, has galvanized a movement and garnered support from big names like Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and George Clooney.
The teens also organized last week’s 17-minute walkout at high schools across the country and even pressured Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) to enact the state’s first gun control measure in over two decades.
Other Twitter users criticized the clear backpack rule, with many echoing the issues stated by Marjory Stoneman Douglas students.
Some users also pointed out that the translucent backpacks will impact teen girls disproportionately because many have no other place to conceal sanitary pads and tampons.