THE ECHO

Jackson Zeunik // Editor-In-Chief

On Thursday, Feb. 5 hundreds of Avon High School students walked out of the school to protest the arrival of I.C.E agents in Indiana. The walk out began during the passing period between 5th and 7th period (1:56-2:03) and ended around the end of the school day (3:10). Students gathered in the Commons before exiting door 38; the protesters then made a lap around the school before ending back at the flagpole at door 38. Several students then gave speeches.   

Protests have been increasing following the Trump administration’s increase in funding for I.C.E. along with the shooting of two people in Minneapolis in January.

Local news stations were present, such as WTHR and WRTV, with Avon students speaking to reporters. 

“If you want to go out there and protest or try to stand up, absolutely do it,” senior Fred Wittman said to WTHR reporters. “There’s going to be others who support you. You’re doing the right thing. You’re on the right side of history.” 

Senior Dominick Store said he was shocked by the turnout, and it gave him hope for the future and his fellow students. Store said he was reminded of the moments in history similar to this one. 

“When I see this turnout, it reminds me of the historic events back in the 50s and 60s and 70s of students and people of our age and in their 20s advocating for rights and their freedoms,” Store said.  “Seeing this even happen at this high school today and many others in Indiana, I feel like it’s a historic moment this will go down as a precedent in Avon High School history.” 

Some opponents of the protest said that students were using the protest as an excuse to skip class. Freshman Brian Ruiz said that to many students this meant more to them than skipping, and it was an important milestone. 

“To other people, it may seem ridiculous and that students are skipping school on purpose and it’s ridiculous, but students, I think they should have the right to, speak out against politics because as grownups are doing it downtown and other cities, I think teenagers, minors have the right to do it as well,” said Ruiz. 

Senior Liam Reilly also tied the walk out back to history, and Martin Luther King Jr. Reilly said he felt the walk out was a way to express their voices as many students cannot vote due to being underage. 

“As MLK said in his letter from Birmingham, jail, an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” Reilly said. “So even if it’s not directly affecting us, we as citizens of the United States feel as if this is our duty to demonstrate and to attract attention to this cause.”