EDIT 2/8/25: Clarification was added for various reasons and motivations for the protest

On Friday, February 6, a group of Stagg students hosted a walkout protesting against many issues including immigration and deportation fears under the Trump administration. 

When the lunch bell rang, the walk began. From the front gate to the bus stop on N Pershing Ave., over 60 students stood with flags and posters that had slogans like”Ice Divides, Humanity Unites” and “Immigrants Make America Great” showing their support for people no matter their migrant status.

Earlier that week word was spread through social media. On the day of the walkout, students knocked on doors and handed out flyers to students that said ‘VIVA LA GENTE’, which translates to ‘LONG LIVE THE PEOPLE’.

The flyers spread through social media and in person had instructions on where the protest would take place along with instructions on where to go and how to have a civil protest. It was planned to last from 11:45 until school ended at 3:35. 

Lilliana Zuniga, a senior, was one of the organizers of the walkout. The organizing group wanted a protest that wouldn’t disturb the peace around them. “We wanted to make sure the protest stayed peaceful and that we weren’t putting the students in danger,” said Zuniga.

When the bell rang students began to walk towards the front of the school where they were met with staff standing by the gate. When the demonstrators began to walk toward the gate, administrators stepped out of the way and allowed them to pass.

Jasmine Morales, another senior at Stagg High School voiced the importance of this event for her. “I believe in fighting for what’s right and having the chance to have a voice for people who can’t speak up”. 

Those who attended the protest expressed their satisfaction for the crowd. Morales said, “The protest was very loud. It was loving and a shared space with people who care about the community and what they believe is important.” 

Standing there holding their signs and flags in support of their stance on ICE and their problems with Trumps administration the students were supported by many too. As cars flew by on the main road you could hear their honks of support among the chants of the students 

 According to messages sent from organizer Amalinalli Perez, protesters wanted to express their “disappointment [and] anger” at Congress in allowing President Trump to “violate the constitution, our amendment, our right to be who we are and as well as for turning their heads when he’s removing important programs that help give POC, LGBTQ, etc. representation and opportunities.”

They go on to list the World Health Organization, Human Rights Council, and Department of Education as organizations affected by the Trump administration who have helped “sick, disabled, low income, foreigners, POC,” among others.

Another senior who attended the protest, Adriana Garcia said, “We knew what we were protesting for, and we wanted to bring awareness to what we were protesting for.” 

For Garcia, these issues have had a significant impact on her life and her family members’ lives. One day during Trump’s first term as president, ICE (or U.S. Immigrants and Customs Enforcement) showed up at one of her family members’ jobs and detained some of the workers. “My family member was fortunate enough to not get caught by ICE, but it was a close call” stated Garcia.

To many students, the turnout of the event was better than expected. According to Garcia, despite some of the students using the protest as an excuse to ditch school, the people there for the cause were overwhelming. “There were a lot of people who participated in the protest, it really did surprise me,” said Garcia. 

As the protesters waved signs, they were passed by many cars with many beliefs. Some waved and honked their horns, but others were not as friendly. Garcia stated “One [driver] yelled at the students ‘F**k you’ and another flipped all of us off”. This did not discourage the students and they continued to protest against the issues. 

In an email sent out on Friday at 3:45, Principal Brett Toliver notified Stagg parents and families about the event. While he voiced support for peaceful demonstration, he made it a point to address the fact that the march happened outside of campus, writing “While we support student voice and peaceful demonstration, we cannot approve any events outside of school during school hours.We must make clear this is not an SUSD event and must ensure safety.”

Garcia hopes that this action taken by students can inspire more people to fight for immigrants and marginalized people in the U.S. “In the long run it will make a difference, it was brought to people’s attention and many supported us.”