SPOKANE, Wash. – Protests against the conduct and deployment of ICE agents have spread across the nation, including schools in Spokane. This wave of protests began after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good in Minnesota. As a result, students are staging walkouts, and some parents are keeping their children at home due to safety concerns.
In Minnesota, public schools reopened Monday after closing due to ICE activity disrupting dismissal at a high school. To accommodate students staying home, schools are offering a remote learning option through February 12.
“It’s really hard for a kindergartner, a first grader, a second grader, to learn online and parents who have been through that, know that,” one Minnesota parent said. “And for some families it was super clear, it was like, nope, my whole family is staying home, we are doing e-learning.”
School districts are not endorsing the walkouts but acknowledge the significance of the moment and the First Amendment rights of students in letters sent to parents. These protests have now spread to the Inland Northwest.
At Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, hundreds of students participated in the walkout. Signs, chants and passionate students filled the courtyard.
“I feel very empowered, just very empowered and strong,” said a student.
Students across Spokane walked out of class for anti-ICE protests and a vigil for Renee Good after the fatal shooting in Minneapolis.
“I’ve always felt kind of alone in starting activism here at the school, and now I know I’m not. So it’s really fantastic to come out here with everyone,” the student said.
The Lewis and Clark Commons is the birthplace of a group called “Spokane Students for Human Decency,” founded by Ava Swigard.
“The youth, we’re the next voice of America. And so we make our voices heard now,” Swigard said.
Swigard explained the motivation behind the student-run group. “I think a lot of older people think, ‘look at students’ and say, ‘okay, they’re kind of disengaged from our world and from our community.’ And it’s encouraging to see that that’s not true. That’s not true at all.”
The group has worked with administrators at participating schools and notified local law enforcement to “avoid any discrepancies.”
Some parents, including Kristine Porritt, showed up outside the school to support their children. “I’m here to support my kid,” Porritt said. “It warms my heart that we’re all coming together.”
Other adult bystanders from nearby businesses joined the protest as well. “I ran home, and I made a sign very quickly to show my support. Not just for the cause, but I wanted to show my support for the students,” one person said.
As for disciplinary action, it varies by teacher. Some students reported being subject to tardies and lunch detentions, while others said their teachers allowed peaceful participation.
A video posted to Facebook during the walkout garnered attention, with some commenters criticizing the students’ actions and others supporting them.
Ava Swigard addressed the criticism. “Of course there’s going to be naysayers. There always is, but it’s important to recognize that they’re human, too, and they have just as many rights as we do. And just because they may have different opinions doesn’t mean that they’re any less valued.”
Swigard emphasized the importance of keeping their message peaceful and clear. “Our country, it’s ‘we the people’, right? This land is your land, this land is my land. This land is our land. So let’s live it together. We believe as a movement, we’re not getting even. We’re getting creative and in love.”
