On Friday, Jan. 30, Carlmont students walked out of school in a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in solidarity with nearby schools.
Students met after lunch in front of the Performing Arts Center (PAC) to march from Alameda de las Pulgas to the Belmont Caltrain Station and Belmont City Hall in opposition to ICE and in support of the general strike in Minneapolis.
A nationwide “shutdown” was organized in response to the shooting of multiple civilians by ICE, causing many to not go to work or school. Many Bay Area high schools walked out simultaneously, including San Mateo, Burlingame, Hillsdale, and Aragon.
The official Instagram account for the walkout, @chs.walkout26, along with related accounts like @carlmontwalkout, informed students that they could excuse their absences for a political event pursuant to CA SB 955.
“I initially saw the walkout on Instagram, and I heard the stories and my friends were telling me to go, so I decided to join,” said Carlmont junior Ava Saucedo. “The first time I saw it, I followed the account and kept up with the updates.”
According to Principal Gay Buckland-Murray, over 600 Carlmont students called out for excused absences on the day of the walkout, whether they were sick or excusing themselves for political participation. Typically, 98% of Carlmont’s approximately 2,400 students attend each day.
“I was not surprised that Carlmont students are taking an activist stance on what’s happening in the world. I think at our school, we’re teaching you to be aware of what’s happening in the world, and students wanting to respond is to be expected,” Buckland-Murray said.
Despite the more limited opportunities for high schoolers to become directly involved in politics, many Carlmont students feel strongly about politics and were eager to do something about it by joining the walkout.
“It’s important that we as young people make our voices heard and make it known that we don’t agree with the f****** horror that is going on and the dictatorship that’s taking over in our country right now,” said Carlmont senior Jax Manning.
The preparation
The walkout was initially organized on Instagram after other walkouts were held at nearby schools.
“I kind of saw a few other schools were doing it, and I saw, you know, all over social media, people in other states doing it. And I was like, I feel like this could be good,” said Carlmont sophomore Emily James-Johnstone.
James-Johnstone was one of the initial organizers, starting an account and later joining and running @chswalkout.26, the official account that ran the walkout.
“We did not work with any adults on this. Other than asking about the attendance issue, we had no other help, and it was completely student-led,” James-Johnstone said.
In addition to coordinating the protest itself, James-Johnstone and the Civic Leaders of America (CLA) club organized a poster-making activity the day before, where students gathered in room S11 during lunch to make signs. CLA members and James-Johnstone met twice to determine details about marketing, materials, and procedures to maximize participation and safety.
“It was pretty stressful because I had to make sure everything was clear. I had to make sure we could do this in a way that would keep us safe, because I didn’t want to start anything,” James-Johnstone said.
Safety procedures included separating into two groups on separate sidewalks and posting safety protocols on Instagram beforehand.
The protest
At 12:45 p.m., hundreds of students had gathered in front of the F-hall building, holding signs and getting ready to march.
Chants that were organized prior to and posted on Instagram brought up the energy, with student organizers leading and student attendees responding.
Not all students participating were from Carlmont. Some students from the nearby K-8 San Carlos Charter joined in, including eighth-grader Ayla Abbas, who was there with her family.
“I think a lot of adults think that kids should stay out of politics. But I think the more people that come together to stand up and support what we believe in, the more we call attention to the problems that are facing our country,” Abbas said.
As students continued walking down Ralston Ave., countless community members showed their support with loud honks or cheers as they passed by.
“I was very happy and excited to see so many young people protesting. Many people driving by were honking their horns in support,” said Susan Rendina, a passerby.
While the original plan was to walk from Carlmont to City Hall and picket there until 3 p.m., leaders of the protest, including James-Johnstone, decided to return to the Belmont Caltrain Station after City Hall.
“City hall was really cramped, so we decided to move back to the train station because there was just a lot more room and way more cars there,” James-Johnstone said.
During the march, students expressed personal beliefs about ICE, often yelling out in anger and cheering for it to be abolished.
“I’m really angry about everything that’s going on with ICE. For example, Renee Good and how she got shot,” said Carlmont sophomore Ayana Lanzarin. “The 5-year-old that was used as bait for ICE to enter the house. People who just want a good chance to start over in a new country live in fear because of ICE.”
This display was in response to the murders committed by ICE agents, which occurred as a result of the political instability caused by the current Trump administration.
Some Carlmont students attended but did not agree with the walkout’s message.
“We’re out here. We’re speaking the truth, or we’re speaking what we think is the truth. Because obviously there are a lot of viewpoints,” said Craig Holland, a Carlmont student and ICE supporter.
Students remained protesting at the crosswalks near the Caltrain station until around 4 p.m.
“I think it could’ve easily been around a thousand people there. It’s absolutely insane,” James-Johnstone said.
Carlmont students rally against ICE in walkout
The impact
Drivers along the walkout route watched hundreds of students demonstrating their beliefs.
“I think protests are having a positive impact on helping to curb the terrible things happening. I hope the news media watches and listens to what the students have to say,” Rendina said.
While many students chose to walk out, others decided to stay in school and finish out the day instead, for various reasons.
“I didn’t really want to participate, mainly because of academics, and I’m also not super big on protests. I mean, I acknowledge their significance, but I just can’t see myself as a part of them,” said Riley Leung, a Carlmont junior.
Some students wished to attend, but their parents wouldn’t allow them. Others did not view the protest as significant, believing that participating would not be impactful.
“I didn’t attend the walkout because I felt like a lot of people were just using it to make an excuse to leave school. Many kids didn’t really understand what the walkout was really about,” said Ethan Ty, a Carlmont junior.
For those who did participate, the number of people who showed up was vital to the walkout’s success.
“It’s supposed to be a nationwide protest movement, so with our school itself, we’re not gonna make much of a difference. But all of us high schools together could send a pretty big message,” said Carlmont senior Tyler Tachiki.
Even though the walkout Instagram accounts received widespread attention in the days leading up to it, many were still surprised by the level of support the student body showed.
“I’m absolutely astonished by how it ended up. I did not expect that many people to show up,” James-Johnstone said. “The fact that more people just kept coming, I genuinely couldn’t be happier for how it turned out. I think it turned out amazing.”
