Washington, D.C. area students participated in a lie-in, outside of the White House today, the Hill reports. The protest consisted of students lying on the ground for three minutes, the length of time it took for Marjory Stoneman High School shooter Nikolas Cruz to murder his 17 victims.

"It's really important to express our anger and the importance of finally trying to make a change and having gun control in America," Ella Fesler, a 16-year-old participant in the protest told NBC 4.

"Every day when I say bye to my parents, I do acknowledge the fact that I could never see my parents again," she added.

The gathered students were joined by dozens of adults, and chanted "Shame on you, shame on you," at the White House after the lie-in.

The Washington D.C. high schoolers join a growing student movement calling on Congress to pass stricter gun control laws.

This weekend, a speech by Marjory Stoneman High School student Emma Gonzalez went viral; in her remarks she gave an emotional plea for change.

“The people in the government who are voted into power are lying to us. And us kids seem to be the only ones who notice and our parents to call 'B.S.,'" Gonzalez said. "We are prepared to call 'B.S.'"

Students have a mass school walkout planned for March, and a large demonstration called “March For Our Lives,”  is being planned for March 24. According to the march’s website, protestors plan to march in the streets of Washington D.C. to encourage a bipartisan effort to end gun violence.

“The mission and focus of March For Our Lives is to demand that a comprehensive and effective bill be immediately brought before Congress to address these gun issues,” the mission statement said. “No special interest group, no political agenda is more critical than timely passage of legislation to effectively address the gun violence issues that are rampant in our country.”

Gun Control LegislationGun violenceMarjory Stoneman Douglas High School