One of the hundreds of West Boca High School students who make the spontaneous 12.7-mile trek to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High held a sign that said it all: “We want change, too.”

Students across South Florida on Tuesday staged walkouts and protests in solidarity after the Valentine Day massacre of 17 people at the Parkland high school. As part of demonstrations expected to last for several days, they’re pushing for gun law changes and school safety.

Word spread fast. Just two hours after they set out, the first set of walkers arrived to cheers and applause from crowds standing on a hill by the school’s makeshift memorial.

- Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinal