Feb. 9 at 2pm, students poured out of Northwestern High School with a boom box, a megaphone and handmade signs. They were protesting Immigrations and Customs Enforcement activity.
Students circled the bus lot in front of the school, stopping spontaneously to cheer.
Students Miriam and Jovanna said they found out about the planned walkout via instagram. “This is my culture” said Miriam “I’d rather represent this than anything else.”
“We grew up in an immigrant family,” Jovanna said. “Whatever we can do to support, we do it!”
Handmade signs students held ranged from sacred, with one simply showing a citation to Leviticus 19 verses 33-34; to profane; “F*CK ICE,” to personal: “I carry my parents sacrifice in every step I take,” a sign that included a Salvadoran flag.
Northwestern has 2,400 students, 37% of whom the state classifies as multilingual learners, and 1,750 of whom are Hispanic, according to the most recent state data.