Friday, Feb. 13, about 400 Albemarle students staged a walkout to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.
Plans for the walkout came together quickly, with physical and social media flyers appearing Wednesday, Feb. 11. ACPS Chief Communications Officer Jason Grant said the district learned of the plans on Wednesday, according to 29 News.
The walkout followed one at CHS on Feb. 9, as well as others throughout the country. Monticello High School also planned one for Feb. 13.
At around 11:00 AM, the bus loop was a stage of gathering for students as posters and signs were held in the air by the protesters. Several members of staff were present to contain the gathering before they left.
Assistant principal Dr. Jill Dahl stood elevated by a pillar as she explained to the crowd they were officially violating school rules by exiting school grounds without permission. The crowd was animated, a student proclaiming “F*** ICE!”
After Dahl’s proclamation, students made their way up to Hydraulic Road in order to walk down to the Stonefield shopping center.
As the sunlight beamed off of the melting snow, students held signs high. A distorted, fuzzy megaphone led chants of “No ICE, no KKK, no Fascist U.S.A!” .
After leaving the Albemarle campus, adult volunteers wearing neon vests helped monitor students as they walked down the sidewalk.
Additionally, auxiliary protesters from Indivisible Charlottesville, a progressive activist organization, showed up to support the walkout.
While the main focus of the walkout was opposition to ICE enforcement, other causes represented included opposition to Trumpism, anti-racism, support for Palestine and a host of others.
“I think it is important to always spread awareness and let people know what is going on around the world,” sophomore Lyla Shifflett said.
Junior Enrique Rodriguez said he was out there to protest the “unconstitutional, unamerican fascist actions of ICE.”
Both students mentioned the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti as inspiration for participation.
Shifflett said her motivation to protest was watching “innocent people” assaulted by federal agents.
The events in Minneapolis and the killing of two American citizens moved Rodriguez to join in.
By 11:30 a.m. the protesters was firmly stationed at the pedestrian bridge across Route 29 as they displayed their signs to oncoming traffic from above.
The crowd began to dissipate and head back to campus around 12:20 p.m. Others, however, seized the opportunity to grab lunch at Stonefield.
As students returned to the building, they went through the weapons screening process and checked in with administration.
Prior to the walkout, the Young Democrats club worked with school administration to have protestors’ absences excused. While gathering in the bus lot, Students listed their names and lunch numbers when signing out and on return.
Principal Damean Barfield sent out an email the day before, which said “those students who signed out and back in may receive an excused absence in accordance with the Virginia State Code.”
Section 22, Section K of the Virginia Code states that absences can be excused for participating in “civic events.”
Officially, 392 students signed out and received their excused absences.
Friday’s demonstration continues a tradition of Patriots exercising their First Amendment rights. Over the past five years students have staged protests over the war in Ukraine and a controversial mask policy.
“We want peace, justice, no hate,” freshman Kanayis Stewart said. “We only want love.”
