Stanford students walk out of class for Ferguson protest

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- A large group of students walked out of classes at Stanford University Monday morning to protest the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in August, according to a student group.

The protest is part of a series of "hands up walk out" protests planned Monday morning at schools nationwide, including at Santa Clara University.

Stanford's Black Student Union helped promote the walkout and posted video of dozens of students marching through the campus chanting, "black lives matter."

Palo Alto police said the march was expected to head to downtown Palo Alto and officers were prepared to facilitate what was expected to be a peaceful demonstration.

The failure of a Missouri grand jury last Monday to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in Brown's death sparked massive protests throughout the country, many of which have turned destructive.

Protests in Oakland and San Francisco last week led to freeway closures, numerous arrests, fires in the street, broken windows and looting.