COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah — Thousands of Utah students walked out of their schools during class Friday to protest recent actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and those from other federal agencies across the country.
Just before 11 a.m., students at Brighton High School in Cottonwood Heights and Bountiful High School were seen holding signs and chanting on their campuses. Morning walkouts were also scheduled for Highland, Cottonwood, Olympus and Skyline high schools.
The event at Bountiful High School was organized by students who expected a nice turnout, but not in the large numbers that showed up.
“I printed out some pamphlets with resources for people who wanted to help further, but I didn’t think that many people would be here, so I only printed out like 20, and I ran out really fast," said senior Adri Mathis.
For some Bountiful students, the walkout was a lesson in advocacy.
“Because we are currently learning in school about these histories, about these democracies that have been eroded, I think we are specifically tuned to see these problems as they happen today, and we see that today," explained Bountiful protest organizer John Alley.
University of Utah students gathered on the Salt Lake City campus and traveled as a large group to a protest at Washington Square Park attended by hundreds.
Scott McKane was live at the SLC protest against ICE in video below:
"It’s easy right now to get worried, to get scared, to get upset about things that are happening. But when you can stand up with other people and fight for what you believe in, not only do you feel better, but change does happen," shared Utah student Ada Marre.
Students at Brighton High School held signs that read "No Secret Police" and "Trust Your Eyes, Not Their Lies" during the event, which ended after about an hour.
Video below shows student walk-out at Brighton High School (Caution: Some language not meant for all users):
Following a student walkout at Bennion Junior High School in South Salt Lake, the Granite School District said students who participated in the protest would be marked as absent unless a parent excused their actions.
"The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that schools must respect our students’ First Amendment rights and their desire to express their views on issues that matter to them," Granite School District said in a statement. "Our top priority in these situations is maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and staff."
Beehive Science & Technology Academy students across multiple grades staged their own walkout at around noon.
"Our goal was to shine a spotlight on the importance of humanism, community safety, and protecting the next generation from policies that create fear and division, specifically protesting ICE," one student told FOX 13 News.
The walkouts come in the aftermath of deadly shootings by federal agents operating in Minneapolis. Renee Good and Alex Pretti were both shot and killed on the street by agents. On Friday, the Department of Justice opened a civil rights probe into Pretti's death, which was widely captured on video.
As the group at Brighton demonstrated, there were no obvious counter-protesters or dissenting voices. Alley and Mathis said their generation isn’t afraid to speak out and voice their opinions. Instead, they want to take what they’ve learned in the classroom and be a part of a different history.
“I’m hoping that we’ll start to see a change," said Mathis. "It feels good to be here and to know that I’m doing something and not just waiting and sitting back watching and waiting for someone else to do something."
