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Students from around 30 Valley schools stage walkout as part of nationwide anti-ICE protests
Students at about 30 high schools across the Valley are walking out of class Friday as a part of nationwide anti-ICE protests.
Watch: Students across the Valley walk out of class to protest ICE | 43 seconds
PHOENIX – Students at over 30 high schools across the Valley walked out of class Friday as part of a nationwide protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
At Greenway High School, students marched down 35th Avenue carrying signs and flags with messages such as “immigrants make America great” and “get ICE out of Arizona.”
Friday’s National Shutdown protest comes in the wake of federal agents fatally shooting Renee Good and Alex Pretti during ICE operations in Minneapolis this month.
Phoenix students explain why they joined nationwide ICE protests
One of the students who took part in the march was Maddie Bannister. She said the goal is to make a difference and get ICE out of Phoenix.
“It’s our duty as students and just people who live in America to stand up for people who can’t. And it’s very unfair what’s happening,” Bannister told KTAR News 92.3 FM.
Bannister said she hopes elected officials hear the students and pay attention to why they’re walking out.
“We want them to know we care about people in our community and it’s not fair what they’re doing,” she said.
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Delina Ayala is a student at Moon Valley High School, which is near Cactus Road and 35th Avenue, in Phoenix. She said supporting each other and showing up is essential.
“We have friends that are losing their families, people are going missing. And I think that us all coming together isn’t going to fix the problem, but it spreads awareness to others,” she said.
Students took to the streets several days after Homeland Security Investigations raided multiple Zipps Sports Grill locations across the Valley on Monday, leading to criminal charges against several undocumented migrants.
Students aren’t the only ones participating in the National Shutdown protest. Changing Hands Bookstore, Stinkweeds Records Store, Ezbachi Japanese Grill and Chilakil To Go are among the local businesses that confirmed they will be closed Friday in a show of solidarity with the community.
The ICE protests are necessary to stand up for everyone’s rights, according to Nero Llamas, another Greenway High School student who participated in the walkout.
“We’re making a movement. We’re making a change,” Llamas said. “It sucks that we have to speak up about this because adults can’t.”
Funding for this journalism is made possible by the Arizona Local News Foundation.
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Comments
52 Comments
After the protest near me about 30 kids ended up at McDonalds.....A college girl talked with them and it was a joke----the students barely new why they were out there...and had so much information that was 'not true?"
I’d imagine that 99% of these young people have no idea what they’re protesting for or against. I’m more importantly, why are people supporting criminals?
so clueless. ice is going after illegal immigrants . if your not an illegal immigrant you have nothing to worry about. if you confront ice or any law enforcement you are increasing your chance of being arrested and or hurt really bad. let ice do their job. cooperate with ice is how you get ice out of your town. tell your politicians to no longer be a sanctuary city and cooperate with ice . sanctuary cities invites ice becus politicians are saying illegal immigrants can stay there. that is aiding a criminal. you do that you are breaking the law but politicians are above the law. thats why they are inciting violence and encouraging the people to do their dirty work for them.