Miramonte High School students march along Moraga Way during a peaceful walkout Feb. 4 protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies. Organizers said 400–500 students participated in the student-led demonstration, which was planned in advance.
More than 400 Miramonte High School students joined in the nationwide parade of protests about the practices and policies of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with a peaceful walkout on Feb. 4.
Students from all grades left their classrooms at 2:30 p.m. and marched on Moraga Way to the Moraga Country Club.
The demonstration was organized and led by students, who spent close to two weeks building an Instagram account dedicated to spreading the word on the walkout.
@Abolish.ice.mhs on Instagram had over 500 followers by the day of the protest and contained information about the walking route, the code of conduct, and general reminders about the event.
This preparation allowed Miramonte’s administration to plan to keep students safe. There were no reported disruptions or accidents.
Students held signs reading various messages such as “No human is illegal on stolen land,” “Stop pretending your racism is patriotism,” and “Fight ignorance, not immigrants.”
Sean Gupta, a Miramonte junior and co-organizer of the protest, led the charge with a megaphone, chanting, “Tell me what democracy looks like,” and the students chanted back, “This is what democracy looks like.”
Gupta worked with a dozen schools under a larger organization, Bay Against ICE, to organize the protest.
“This may be only the beginning of ICE’s reign of terror, and, if so, it is only the beginning of our resistance,” said Gupta.
Teachers knew of the walkout in advance and were not allowed to speak positively or negatively about it. This was so that students who wanted to stay in their classes wouldn’t feel bad about themselves or pressured to join.
Miramonte’s principal Ben Campopiano supports students’ right to peacefully protest but is required to stay neutral as an administrator.
“My only concern is that students can express themselves peacefully while minimizing disruption to instruction and ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone involved,” said Campopiano.
Campopiano and Miramonte’s two associate principals followed protestors, and they stationed themselves at different intersections and points of traffic to ensure students’ safety.
Besides safety, some students worried about missing class or being criticized.
Sachi Patwardhan, a Miramonte senior, says that people misunderstand what she’s protesting for.
“I’m not protesting the laws in place that illegally prohibit people from coming into the country; I am protesting imprisonment without due process because that’s a concentration camp,” said Patwardhan.
Students like Patwardhan believe that the news coverage from protests like this will let the Trump administration know that young people are not on their side.
Protestor Lucas Rascher offers an alternative perspective.
“I can’t say it will make a difference at a large scale, but fighting for justice is right, and justice always prevails in the end,” said Rascher.
Time will tell if Rascher or Patwardhan is right.
Bay Area Against Ice and Miramonte are also not done fighting for change. Gupta says his work isn’t done until ICE is abolished.
“My grandparents are immigrants. Many of my friends are immigrants. The Bay Area is built on immigrants,” said Gupta. “Better to act now rather than later!”
