On February 3rd at 12:07 pm, students from Norte Vista protested for change in their community. Students decided to walk to the Tyler Galleria Mall and advocate against the recent actions of ICE. Over the past two years, accounts of harassment and physical violence from the immigration agency have increased. In response to this sudden increase in ICE activity and the planned walkout, several emails have been sent out from Novi’s principal, Jason Marquez, regarding student safety while they rally. 

“I’ve been telling students the safest place for them is here at school. I am not trying to take away anyone’s freedom to speak out, but safety is our number one concern. I do believe people should voice their opinions, and this is the wrong way for the federal government to go about things,” Marquez said.

A post from Instagram user “lshswontbeoppressed” originally started the idea of a mass walkout. They felt it was time to speak out and protest after the abuse she had witnessed from ICE. This post set the date and time, which allowed students to walk out at a set time as a collective and protest. 

“Last year, during ‘No Kings Day’ in downtown Riverside, I witnessed Alexa Carrasco being run over. Walking through those streets, I realized the world was much darker than I knew. From my hometown of Santa Ana to here in Riverside, I see the impact every day, in the empty stores that were once full of life, and in the silence of our neighborhoods. My breaking point was hearing that ICE was at Ramona High School. We are told school is a sanctuary, but realizing that my peers aren’t safe even there was a reality I couldn’t ignore,” lshswontbeoppressed said. 

Daisy Janser Pineda, a fellow junior participating in the walkout to speak up on how she was affected by the presence of ICE and their recent actions. She was very happy with the amount of support shown towards this protest and with how the majority protested instead of using it as an opportunity to skip. Compared to the previous walkout done this walkout was more successful and way bigger.

“ I feel like I participated in the walkout because my family, friends, neighbors, and I have been affected by ICE. I was trying to send a message that we are not aliens and that we should not be treated this way,” Pineda said. 

Pineda was not the only student who was moved by personal reasons to join. Senior Douglas Enriquez felt a deep responsibility to represent his heritage at the walkout. Enriquez’s parents, who have roots in South and Central America, encouraged him to go to the demonstration and stand up for their community. 

“I decided to show what our community is really about. Since half of our community is 50% Latino, Hispanics, and others are 50% white. I still love to show where I’m truly from, and to show my roots,” Enriquez said. 

The walk out left a lasting impression on those that were there. Bryan White, another 12th grader, talked about how the coordination between different schools resulted in a massive turnout at the intersection near the Tyler Galleria Mall. For White, seeing the community take the lead was a sign of the protests success. 

“It was great seeing the youth of the community advocating for the community. Even all the adults that witnessed it were praising the fact that the demographic at the protest was so young. I think it’s great that people are already getting involved when they’re so young,” White said. 

The atmosphere during the protest remained positive and they remained focused. Even though a few of the students were acting out, but the others were showing respect and staying focused on what they were there to do. 

“Overall, the vibes were really good. Everyone was really passionate about it. People were acting very respectful. People were acting with dignity, and you could really tell that everyone there genuinely cared,” White said.