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Tag: school walkout

  • Aurora, Lakeview students join Chicago-area school walkouts to protest immigration enforcement

    AURORA, Ill. (WLS) — Chicago and suburban students joining others across the state and nationwide protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday morning.

    A walkout at Lake View High School got underway as students in Aurora also walked out of school on Friday.

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    The demonstrations come after more than 1,500 students participated in a walkout earlier this week in Aurora, where things got contentious between students and police.

    Officers arrested three East Aurora High School students, one of whom is also charged with aggravated battery to a police officer.

    SEE ALSO | Demonstrators gather at Aurora PD after video shows officers, students clashing at anti-ICE protest

    Protesters say officers used excessive force while police say the students did not follow commands, walked out into the street, and resisted. Multiple officers were injured in the protest.

    The Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office is now conducting an independent review of that situation.

    Because of this, Aurora school superintendents released a video, urging parents to encourage their kids to stay in the classroom on Friday for their safety.

    READ MORE | Hundreds of North Side high school students walk out of class, hold anti-ICE rally at River Park

    “When students leave campus, we cannot ensure their safety. Outside groups may join. Large gatherings can escalate. Law enforcement resources may be stretched if multiple schools are involved. These are real concerns,” the video says.

    Students on Chicago’s North Side marched to the North Center Town Square.

    Other student walkouts were also planned in Bolingbrook, Addison, and Elmhurst on Friday.

    Chicago Public Schools issued a statement, saying, “Chicago Public Schools (CPS) remains committed to fostering learning environments that allow students to respectfully deliberate issues with evidence and an open mind – and safely participate in civic action.

    It is appropriate in classes or special school events to create an environment where students of all viewpoints feel that they can express themselves in a safe and respectful environment.

    In the event that students want to participate in civic action, school administrators work with student organizers to designate an appropriate, safe space for students to convene for a group activity. CPS allows for students to participate in planned civic actions, including walkouts or protests, for a period of time during the school day, according to CPS guidance.”

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    Stephanie Wade

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  • ‘Everyone’s living in fear’: Students at Bethesda high school walk out to protest ICE – WTOP News

    Hundreds of students streamed out of Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland, on Tuesday to call on Montgomery County Public Schools to limit cooperation with ICE.

    Hundreds of students streamed out of Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda, Maryland, when the bell rang for fifth period.

    Organizers Evan Schwartz and Dalia Rees, both juniors at the school, said the act of protest was in response to recent actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

    “We’re doing this walkout in protest of ICE brutality in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in order to get MCPS to promise that they will not cooperate with ICE at all,” Schwartz said.

    Rees said she felt the walkout was necessary: “Because this is the world we’re growing up in and it’s really important that we are politically active and remain so.”

    Along with adopting a policy barring ICE from conducting enforcement on school campuses, Schwartz said they’re also asking for the high school to “educate students about civil liberties as part of assemblies,” with more instruction on constitutional rights and liberties.

    Freshman Mariana Spensley-Aguirre, who is a legal U.S. citizen whose family is originally from Mexico, told WTOP, “I’ve had to have discussions with my parents as to whether I have to carry an ID that says that I’m a citizen, even with my appearance.”

    She described herself as not looking like “the target community.”

    Spensley-Aguirre explained she was planning her quinceañera, a traditional Latin American celebration for girls when they turn 15. But, she said, some family members are too afraid to attend what should be a joyous family occasion.

    “Everyone’s living in fear and everyone’s worried, and we’re watching the news and it’s terrifying,” she said.

    Montgomery County Public Schools spokesperson Liliana Lopez explained the school system’s current policy regarding ICE enforcement on school grounds.

    “If immigration officials visit a school, MCPS staff follow a step-by-step process to handle the situation appropriately,” she wrote in an email. “This includes verifying the visitor’s identity, obtaining any official documentation including warrant and subpoena, and notifying MCPS legal counsel for guidance.”

    Lopez also pointed out the school system has information for families.

    Regarding school system policy on walkouts and its guidance on the issue, the school district states students have the right to “peacefully assemble” and express their views, and that there are procedures that are designed to facilitate that.

    Schwartz said after the walkout, he’d been notified that walking out of the fifth period class would result in an unexcused absence.

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    Kate Ryan

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