Students at hundreds of schools across Colorado walked out of class around noon Friday to protest the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the agency leading it. Organizers say more than 200 schools, from Brush to Grand Junction, participated.
In Denver, hundreds of students from several area high schools gathered at La Alma-Lincoln Park for a mostly peaceful demonstration against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
It was at times disrupted by a handful of anti-immigrant demonstrators seeking a reaction from the sidelines. At one point, students threw water bottles at one heckling demonstrator.
Social media brought student activists together
The event was organized by Colorado Youth Coalition, a student-led protest group co-founded earlier this year by Bre Kennedy, a 16-year-old junior at Grandview High School in Aurora, who said the event came together through social media.
“I posted something on Instagram about 20 schools that were participating,” Kennedy said. “The post got 200K views on Instagram and absolutely blew up. My Instagram DMs on the Youth Coalition were flooded, and I was able to get so many more schools plugged in and organized.”
Kennedy said the Youth Coalition campaign brought together student activists across the state who often feel isolated in their individual communities.
“I think this resonates with a lot of Colorado youth because there's a lot of ICE activity in our state, and it's absolutely disgusting to see,” Kennedy said. “Being a kid, people say, ‘Oh, you can't be into politics. You're too young. You can't vote. Your voice doesn't matter.’ I think kids are tired of hearing that. So getting everybody out here and plugged in is really cool to see.
Kiros calls students brave
Democratic congressional candidate Melat Kiros brought some star power to the event when she stopped by to deliver a short speech. She applauded the students, most of whom are still too young to vote, for their activism.
“These are very, very serious problems that we're facing right now,” Kiros said. “These students are brave. They're getting threatened with suspensions. They're getting harassed online right now. And they still chose to show up and fight for what they think is right. It's important for public officials to be standing alongside them.”
Students across the state walked out of classrooms between 10:30 am and noon Friday.
“I was in chemistry,” said Liliana Garcia-Martinez, a 15-year-old sophomore at Lincoln High School. She said she came to support friends and family who don’t have a voice and cursed at ICE. “And I walked out, and I left to the bus.”
Marvin McNeil, a 15-year-old junior, left during math class at Manuel High School and walked the 3 miles to La Alma-Lincoln Park with a handful of friends.
Setting examples
“I'm here today because youth need to have more examples of people who are willing to step up for what they believe in,” McNeil said. “A lot of people who are here today do not know how many people are on their side. I'm here to set an example for the people who believe that they want to do something, but just can't right now.”
Emunah Zalkin, 16, and a junior at Compassion Road Academy, an alternative high school near downtown Denver, said she joined the walkout along with roughly half of her classmates.
“I'm hoping to make a difference with everything that's going on in our world right now — with our president, with people getting deported, with the violence going on,” Zalkin said. “Even if I'm missing class, that's nothing compared to what a lot of these people are going through and what is continuing to go on in our country right now.”
Conflicts in Denver park
The demonstration turned tense at times, as a small number of counter-protesters agitated from the margins. One man, his face hidden by a mask, held a sign that said: “I Love ICE.” Another man carrying a microphone and apparently recording himself got a rise out of students by asking provocative questions.
“They were twisted questions like, ‘How do you feel about Arab immigrants coming and changing the culture here?’” Zalkin said. “And I'm like, ‘That's not why we're here today.’”
Some students yelled at and shoved the instigators, and hit them with water bottles, while teachers, adult organizers and Denver Public Schools security officers tried to hold them back and redirect their attention.
According to the Denver Police Department, no one was arrested, two were cited for graffiti and three people were sent to the hospital for unknown injuries. In a statement, DPD said there were at least five assaults or altercations during the protest.
"Officers contacted or identified several suspects in these altercations, and those investigations are ongoing," a DPD statement read.
The crowd dispersed by early evening with no further incidents.
Kirrabella Cruz, a 16-year-old junior, didn’t need to be told to give the agitators wide berth. She and her friends, who walked over from East High School, said they’d rather keep it safe. Cruz said her history class had recently learned about the 2017 Charlottesville demonstration where protesters were attacked by a motorist, and one died.
“I’m here because I am an immigrant descendant,” she said. “My great-grandparents are immigrants. I'm pretty sure they'd be disappointed to know that people are getting deported when they only wanted to live the American Dream.”
Editor's note: This story was updated to include a statement from the Denver Police Department.
