Approximately 150 students walked out Feb. 5 to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s policies and enforcement tactics in response to several posts circulated across various social media platforms by current students and alumni. Similar walkouts have been occurring across both the state and country protesting ICE’s racially-targeted stops, treatment of detainees and handling of protesters, among other issues.
Calls for the walk started on social media. Bryant Public Schools responded to the posts—which used Bryant branding—Feb. 4 denying affiliation with the protest in an email sent to parents and in social media posts.
“Although our district branding was used in the post, we want our community to know that this event is not sponsored by nor is it endorsed in any way by Bryant Public Schools,” the district said. “Bryant Public Schools has clear discipline policies about leaving class or causing disruptions to class, which will be followed should an event of this nature actually occur.”
View this post on Instagram
The walkout took place during the passing period between fourth and fifth periods, where participants split into two groups. One group stayed on campus, gathering in the field by the bus loop beside Parking Lot B, while the larger group of student protesters left campus and marched down North Reynolds Road. The route proposed on social media was to walk down to the I-30 Intersection, but officers instructed the participants to turn around before they reached their destination. Along the way, protesters sang, chanted and sported signs declaring “No more ICE” and “How do we like our ICE? Crushed.”
”I decided to join the walk out knowing there would be consequences, but those consequences did not amount to the hardships the Hispanic community is currently facing,” a protest participant, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “I also knew that others wanted us to be scared to speak up, and I hated the idea of them silencing us with fear. I also thought about the kids who were scared to protest; I did it for them.”
Protesters reported opposition by passerbys on the road: being flipped off, yelled at and at least one person reportedly arguing with a Bryant Police officer, several of whom drove alongside the protest route to monitor for safety concerns.
“The protest itself tended to drown out any words I heard from cars themselves,” senior Red Johnson, a participant in the protest, said. “Personally, I made direct eye contact with two people who had flipped me specifically off while driving. One of them was an older man, the other one was kind of our age.”
Upon returning to campus, participants in the protest were directed to the multi-purpose room by administration and assigned ISS. Some participants checked out of school beforehand to evade discipline for skipping class.
Junior Hugo Arreola, a participant, major supporter and organizer of the walkout, purposely avoided this tactic.
“I don’t care about the punishment. I’m doing this for a cause, not for myself. I’m doing it for the community,” Arreola said. “I said, ‘If I’m doing this, I want to serve the same punishment as everybody else.’”
Participants of the protest were assigned ISS for the remainder of the day on top of an additional day. Two extra rooms were required to house the approximated 67 ISS attendees. While major offenses resulting in suspension (e.g. fighting, drugs) disqualify students from attending prom, participation in the walkout is considered a minor offense. Participants in the protest will not be barred from the dance on account of participation in the walkout.
“I think that’s the hard part of trying to protect: sometimes you have to tell people things that they don’t want to hear,” Principal Jason Hay said. “We’re not trying to take political sides or tell people that they should believe this or that. We’re just trying to have school.”
Prior to the walkout, Hay spoke to the student body during lunch and to specific students about his and the administration’s concerns regarding the protest.
“When you give somebody a few days advance notice, you give them the time, you give them the place and you’re walking down a public road, there’s a lot of crazy people in this world,” Hay said. “That was my main concern. I was worried somebody’s going to do some harm to our kids, and that’s hard to live with. I lost some sleep over it.”
For both those who did and didn’t participate, the walkout served as a show of support for those impacted by ICE.
“It was really nice to see so much student solidarity, especially in Central Arkansas,” Johnson said. “That sentiment is more common in Northern Arkansas, but seeing it in Bryant felt really reassuring.”
