“It all starts with one voice” High school student’s solo ICE protest
Evan Gutter, a senior at Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, marched alone to protest ICE in Minnesota after his classmates withdrew, citing safety concerns.
Thousands of middle and high school students across the country have taken to the streets to protest the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after federal agents shot and killed Alex Petty and Renee Good during a demonstration in Minneapolis last month.
On January 30, a wave of student strikes took place across the United States as part of the “National Shutdown,” an organized event calling on Americans to skip school, skip work, and boycott shopping in protest of ICE operations across the country. The event was modeled after Minnesota’s one-day shutdown and was organized by a coalition of student organizations.
Student-led protests are expected to continue, with strikes and marches extending beyond the closure date, and subsequent demonstrations with young people leaving classrooms and taking to the streets.
See student marches in cities across the United States here
Indianapolis, Indiana
Students across the Indianapolis metropolitan area have withdrawn or are scheduled to withdraw from school this week. Hundreds of students from North Central High School poured into the streets on Monday, February 2, and police closed off roads in north Indianapolis, and hundreds marched from Noblesville High School the same day.
“We feel strong,” student organizer Emma Louise Akinleye told IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network. “We feel like our voices really have an impact.”
Additional walkouts were planned at several high schools, including Greenfield High School, Mount Vernon High School in Fortville, Park Tudor High School, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School, and Zionsville High School.
Tallahassee, Florida
In Florida, students in and around Tallahassee braved the unusually cold weather to take to the streets. Nearly 100 students marched off campus at Lincoln High School in East Tallahassee on February 2nd in protest against ICE.
“The voices of hate in the room are loud, but we want to be louder. We want to speak out for peace and equality,” student organizer Mara Stopyak told the Tallahassee Democrat, part of the USA TODAY Network. “We want to show Tallahassee that we do not support ICE.”
In Port Orange, an estimated 100 Atlantic High School students skipped afternoon classes on Friday, January 30, to protest, defying threats of disciplinary action from school officials.
Fort Collins and Denver, Colorado
In Fort Collins, Colorado, nearly half of the 766 students at Lesher Middle School participated in a student-led walkout on February 2, the USA TODAY Network’s Fort Collins Coloradoan reported.
Businesses in Fort Collins, about 90 miles north of Denver, were the first to close on Jan. 30 in solidarity with nationwide shutdowns to protest ICE actions.
Several Denver-area school districts closed or rescheduled their schedules in response to a massive student walkout on Jan. 30, as thousands of people marched to the state Capitol, according to the Denver Gazette.
Reno, Nevada
In Reno, Nevada, hundreds of middle and high school students from across Washoe County marched together on January 30th. Young people came from schools in the Reno area, including Reno High School, McQueen High School, Sparks High School, Wooster High School, and Damonte High School.
James Frazier, an 18-year-old student, told the Reno Gazette Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, “I’m tired of seeing on the news how ICE is shooting and killing, how crazy the budget is, and how everything is out of control.”
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
In the Milwaukee metropolitan area, hundreds of students from several high schools and middle schools marched and chanted chants during the walkout, with Whitefish Bay High School student Lane Rosenberg calling ICE’s actions “un-American.”
“I care about this a lot. I think kids here in (Whitefish) Bay have a lot of privilege, and we need to speak up,” she told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network.
There have been several student protests in the Milwaukee area and throughout Wisconsin in recent weeks. On January 20, students from Rufus King International High School, Reagan High School, Dominican High School, and West Allis Central High School were expelled.
On the same day, about 100 students from Menasha High School walked out in the Fox Cities area of east-central Wisconsin. These were preceded by walkouts at Shorewood High School on January 16th and at Wauwatosa East High School on January 12th.
Phoenix, Arizona
Students from Phoenix-area high schools and universities staged a protest on January 30, and more than 20 schools in the Tucson Unified School District were closed for the day.
The protests followed demonstrations on Jan. 28 at area schools including Arcadia High School, Tolleson Union High School and Camelback High School.
The Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY network, reported that hundreds of students eventually took to the streets.
knoxville, tennessee
Students in Knoxville, Tennessee, also participated in a large walkout on January 30th, gathering downtown and marching to the city-county building. The Knoxville News Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, estimates that of the hundreds of people who marched, the majority (about 40%) were students.
“Our country is built on immigrants to the core,” Emma Noe, a sophomore at Powell High School, told the Sentinel. “Our ancestors will be disappointed.”
Elected officials, including Knoxville City Councilman Denzel Grant and state Rep. Gloria Johnson, were also in attendance to show support for the students.
Asheville, North Carolina
On February 2, more than 200 students walked out of Asheville High School and held signs and chants toward the street outside. At least one local official, Asheville City Councilwoman Kim Loney, also attended to show support.
“We want to show young people that we’re not backing down,” Cora, a student and lifelong Asheville resident, told the Asheville Citizen-Times, a member of the USA TODAY Network.
palm springs california
Hundreds of students across California’s Coachella Valley walked out of class on January 30, the USA TODAY Network’s Palm Springs Desert Sun reported.
“I think we’re heading into an era of fascism in America, and I think it’s important to speak out against what we think is important,” Chloe Freeman, a senior at La Quinta High School, told the Desert Sun.
Palm Springs Unified School District students are planning their own march on Feb. 9, with hundreds of middle and high school students from Desert Sands Unified School District, Coachella Valley Unified School District and other area schools participating.
