Parkland students return to school with mandated clear backpacks — and they are not happy about it

Students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, returned to school on Monday following spring break — and they were not happy about new security changes implemented during their time off.

Some of the school’s most prominent students, who have become national voices in the gun control debate, used social media to voice their displeasure with the changes.

What happened?

Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie announced in March that when MSD students returned from spring break, they would be required to carry their school books in clear backpacks. The decision came after two students from the school were arrested for having weapons on campus.

But the students were quick to voice their displeasure with the change. David Hogg said at a gun control forum the move infringed on students’ right to privacy.

And when students returned to class on Monday, they used their Twitter influence to mock the backpacks.

Many of the students simply bashed the clear backpacks, while others made statements by making tampons visible or posting political stickers and buttons on the outside of the backpacks. Still, others lamented that their school now feels like a “prison."

Emma González posted on Twitter:

The people with the power to make changes keep making the wrong changes; no matter how much we tell them to listen to us there will always be a backpack manufacturer saying, "Hey they need clear backpacks, we got you covered,"...

— Emma González (@Emma4Change) April 3, 2018

...or a Barricade Renter saying "Hey do you need any extra fences that will create the illusion of safety but are easily jumpable and make all the students feel like a combination of prisoners and livestock?"...

— Emma González (@Emma4Change) April 3, 2018

...When people pay money for these modifications on our school (the only one in the county being altered btw) that means Someone Is Getting Paid and I am Sick and Tired of us being treated like prize pigs.

— Emma González (@Emma4Change) April 3, 2018

Delaney Tarr posted:

Laura Hogg, sister of the famed David Hogg, posted:

Sarah Chadwick posted:

Jaclyn Corin posted:

Kyra Parrow posted:

Cameron Kasky posted:

Runcie told the Sun-Sentinel that the new backpacks were "an initial measure, not a permanent one," and noted that Broward Schools would consider allowing other backpacks after seeing how well the metal detection wands worked.