On Jan. 27 at 1:30 p.m., students at both Free State and Lawrence High walked out of class to protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to Sanctuary Alliance, there were an estimated 453 students from Free State and 631 students from Lawrence High who attended the protests.
The walkout was organized by LHS students, and the word was spread through instagram posts outlining the time and route for students to follow. LHS sophomore Ivy Bitters was one of the students who planned the protest, and said she hopes students attended the walkout because of sympathy for those affected by ICE’s actions, regardless of whether they have personal connections.
The protest followed recent ICE activity in Minneapolis that resulted in numerous deportations and two deaths of city residents. Sophomore James Green said that after the death of Renee Good, he knew he had to speak out.
“I’ve been doing my best to keep up with the news and everything that’s going on in our world and with our government, and we cannot stand for this, and what we need right now is protest … I have many friends [who] are of Hispanic descent, and I want to do everything I can to keep them in that whole community safe,” Green said.
Additionally, parents, members of various community groups, district staff and local protesters were present to support the students. One of these groups was Sanctuary Alliance, a group specifically designed to help immigrants. Sanctuary Alliance member Jordan Bickford said they had many groups to hand out food, water and gloves to support the students along the route.
“The students reached out to us for support, and we just followed their lead,” Bickford said. “We just wanted to make sure that we supported and kept an eye out to make sure that everything went as well as possible.”
Despite there being some support from adults, the walkout was entirely led by students. This included many from Students Demand Action, which is a club that meets to discuss current events and politics. SDA sponsor Sarah Podrasky said that she ensures that every club meeting is led by students.
“I’m there as a sponsor for Students Demand Action. It’s not teachers demanding that students demand action … This year has been eventful, and so we just have students listen to each other and talk about current events,” Podrasky said.
In a statement from the district, Superintendent Jeanice Kerr Swift said that although school would continue during the protest, the district recognizes the students’ right to participate.
“Lawrence Public Schools has a strong, proud history of supporting student voice through student peaceful protests, activism, and respectful civil engagement as integral to a strong, healthy democracy,” Swift said.
Similar to Swift’s statement, Podrasky said it’s important for students to exercise their rights in this way.
“I encourage people to get involved in their community where they can and to stay connected,” Podraski said. “When we’re together, we can make an impact.”
