Parents and teachers are reacting to students’ planned walkout of NYC schools on Friday to protest the country’s ongoing ICE raids and stand in solidarity with the people of Minnesota.
Get Free America is leading the citywide student protest on Jan. 23. The self-described “youth-led movement” is encouraging both high school and college students to join the morning walkout, which will coincide with a similar protest happening in Minnesota. Organizers said the walkout is also in protest of the fatal shooting of Renee Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis on Jan. 7.
“We’re walking out of school to free NYC and free America from slave patrols 2.0, from Trump-Crow and from white supremacy,” a social media post from the organizers states. “The MAGA regime is unleashing modern day slave patrols on our communities, terrorizing Black, brown and immigrant communities from Minneapolis and Memphis to LA and DC to Chicago and Charlotte. Now they are threatening to escalate attacks on New York City.”
Although many parents and teachers respect the students’ concerns about the killing of Good and the ongoing ICE raids, they also said the students should remain in class that day.
“Students should focus on learning,” Rich Candia, a retired NYC school teacher, told amNewYork. “And if they want to protest, it should be on their own personal time and not impede the school day.”
Another New Yorker, Patricia Borello Foggin, said she “absolutely does not” support students leaving class to protest.
“And the schools shouldn’t allow it,” she said.
A request for comment was sent to both NYC Public Schools and the City University of New York to find out if administrators were aware of the pending walkout and whether or not they support it. amNewYork is awaiting responses from both entities.
UFT organizes the walkout
Meanwhile, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), NYC’s teachers’ union, issued an emergency resolution to demonstrate in solidarity with Minneapolis teachers during the protest.
“The UFT will call for an emergency demonstration and day of action here in New York, in solidarity with our fellow unionists and with students, faculty, staff, and immigrant communities in Minnesota on Friday, January 23rd,” the union said.
amNewYork contacted the UFT for more comment on the walkout and is awaiting a response.
It is not clear right now if any public school teachers plan to participate in the walkout. However, Get Free held at least one “training session” for students who want to participate in the event.
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“We just held our first student walkout training! Students are organizing. Learning their rights and preparing to walk out this Friday,” the organizers wrote in a post.
It is unclear if the protest training was held during school hours.
Although Jan. 23 is a school day, many students will be busy taking the Regents exams, which are being administered this week.
Protecting Freedom of Speech
Meanwhile, many parents in New York City, upon hearing about the walkout, said they will make sure their children remain in class that day.
“My child is there to learn, not participate in protests, peaceful or otherwise,” Dawn Marie, a mother from Staten Island, said. “I have no issues with standing up for your beliefs, and my children are taught to do so; however, do it on your own time, not time designated for education.”
Zhena Revich, of the Upper West Side, echoed a similar sentiment.
“Schools are for unbiased education, and the safety of the students is their only job. They want to March they can do that outside of school and work hours,” she said.
But another NYC educator said the best way to learn more about something, including the country’s protected First Amendment of free speech, is to take a hands-on approach.
“What better way to understand something than to use it? The right to protest is best learned by using,” she said.
