On Thursday, Jan. 29, Akins students organized a walkout in order to protest against harmful and aggressive behavior from ICE agents in America. The walkout was peaceful, it was a way of showing solidarity with immigrant students and families. It sent the message that schools should be safe spaces, not places of fear, and that students have a voice in standing up for human rights and dignity.
Senior Adeleah Cardenas, one of the main organizers of the protest, gave a speech to rally up the students before the walk. She encouraged students to speak up.
“We should never be scared to voice our opinions,” she said.
She presses on issues with lack of funding to schools, erasing history, and the excessive violence used by ICE agents. Her speech resonated with our school, she had students cheering and yelling in agreement with her claims.
Senior Christopher Herard, who helped as an organizer, also gave a speech prior to the walk. His speech focused on how silence is “no longer an option” and standing up for people’s rights. Herard spoke on ICE’s violent actions, stressing that this is a peaceful protest,
“I want no one else to get hurt,” he said.
The walkout showed that students won’t stay silent when our classmates and families are affected by ICE. It raised awareness, built solidarity, and proved that youth voices matter. It raised awareness, showed unity, and reminded people that immigration issues don’t just affect criminals, they affect real students and families in our schools.
Overall, the protest not only raised awareness within our local community but also strengthened connections among our students.
“Now, more than ever, we need to keep people together”, said Adeleah Cardenas.
