DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Leon High School students spent their Friday afternoon peacefully protesting, joining a growing movement across Leon County and the nation, condemning recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
"At this point, it's not about politics. It's about humanity," Trinity Brown said.
For some students, the protest was deeply personal. Malaly Gonzalez shared her family's daily struggles.
"I am of Mexican descent, and I watch my dad fear to leave his house every day because he does not know if he's going to get racially profiled," Gonzalez said.
Christopher Parsons said he felt compelled to take action rather than remain passive.
"I decided to come out here today because I feel like what I'm fighting for is a good purpose," Parsons said. "I'm not really fighting for anything if I'm just sitting down at school. I feel like if I have the right and I'm allowed to come out here and fight for something that I believe is good, then I will do it."
Leon High School is the third school in the County where students have organized protests against ICE actions. The district released a statement Friday saying "students have listened and acted within the LCS student code of conduct."
Last week, Leon County Schools sent an email to parents and students reminding them of expectations regarding student protests.
It's a message that has been spearheaded by State leaders, including Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas, who sent a letter to school district superintendents earlier this month.
While acknowledging students' right to free expression, Kamoutsas emphasized that such activities should not interfere with school operations, adding that "any student whose actions are to the contrary should be appropriately disciplined."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website.
Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.
