A planned protest and walkout against ICE was carried out at Las Vegas Academy, Canyon Springs, Desert Rose, and Rancho High Schools on January 21st. These walkouts began at 10:30 a.m. and dissipated around 1:11 p.m.
The word was spread on Instagram via posts and stories for the Clark County School District to participate. It was initiated due to the events surrounding Renee Nicole Good, which had unfolded two weeks prior. The social media post that had informed students to wear red and black while walking around the school perimeters, which many students had abided by.Â
Las Vegas’ immigrant population makes up about 20% of current residents, and many teachers and staff have noticed students missing classes due to fears of ICE operations around Las Vegas.
Abel Yepez, a student at LVA, said, “I think that it’s a great thing that we’re doing this, because way too many people’s voices have been stolen. I’m losing my voice right now, but I don’t really care, because there are people (immigrants) who don’t have voices. We should use them (our voices) until we have no voices.”Â
Photo of students protesting by the field, holding up anti-ICE signs by Joslyn Rakes
At the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, many students started protesting during the second half of the designated school lunch time, around 10:30 p.m., and finished at the end of the school day, 2:00 p.m. This protest began on 9th street, between the Performing Arts Center and Lowden Theater, and made its way through the school into the campus quad. Later, the protest would make its way to the field to sit up against the fence and would then again walk back to the campus quad. Protestors were not allowed to leave campus due to safety concerns, in contrast to other Clark County School District high schools.
The school followed district attendance regulations, marking students absent if they missed more than 30 minutes of class. Administrators warned students about their absences and urged them to return to classes. However, administrators also voiced how they were proud of LVA students for using their voices to express their opinions, even giving the crowd a megaphone to be heard louder amongst the crowd.
While some students left to return to class, there was a vast number of people still protesting in the quad. They walked around the quad numerous times, stopped, and gathered to voice their opinions to the crowd, whether it be about their own personal stories or regarding I.C.E.
Evelyn Elsbury, a student participating in the protest, voiced her opinion in the protest.Â
“I do know people whose families have been taken away and stuff for even just being U.S. citizens, and I think that is so incredibly backwards and wrong, and just living in this sort of society isn’t what America is meant to be.”
Another student, Aliyah Ramsey, said, “This just proves how many people actually care about the issue and will do things about it.”
Officer Robles with CCSD Police stated that he was neutral to the protest within the school, as long as it was kept peaceful.
Overall, students used this opportunity to speak up for the issues regarding immigration and ICE that they had found prevalent, especially towards the end of the protest when students shared speeches deriding ICE and their operations in the United States. This was also an opportunity for students to build up a better sense of community and find the strength to continue fighting for their beliefs.
