GADSDEN COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — Around 20 students left their classrooms at Gadsden County High School Wednesday to stage a demonstration on campus grounds.
WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW:
About 20 students walked out of class and gathered outside, holding signs and chanting in protest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Students say the walkout was about supporting immigrant families and raising awareness about immigration enforcement policies in their community.
Students gathered together, some chanting, others holding handmade signs, all with the same goal: making their voices heard.
"It feels good actually I was nervous coming out here to be honest but seeing all these people out here, you know, wanting to support what they support is good," Ny'Taviona Moore said.
Moore is a senior at Gadsden County High School.
The demonstration wasn't planned through school channels. Students organized it through social media and word of mouth. Students say it was a peaceful way to speak up without disrupting each other's learning.
"It feels great because they see our signs actually mean something, and as they mean something, they are blowing their horns," Shamar Williams said.
Williams is also a senior at Gadsden County High School.
The superintendent issued a statement on the demonstration saying, "Because of safety concerns and leaving school grounds, you will not be allowed to come back inside of this campus."
It's unclear if any additional disciplinary action will be taken.
Students say the walkout was about using their voices and standing up for classmates and families they say are directly impacted by immigration enforcement.
On Monday, February 16th, the Gadsden County School District reposted the memo sent to school districts by Florida Board of Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas.
In their caption, they wrote in part,
We want our students to know that their voices are essential, and we also want to ensure they understand their rights and responsibilities within the school setting. Recent guidance regarding student protests, instructional time, and campus safety reinforces that while students have constitutional rights to free expression when exercised lawfully and in accordance with district policy, instructional time must be protected and campuses must remain safe and supervised.
The walkout comes amid heightened national attention on immigration enforcement policies and their impact on communities across the country. It's one of several local student protests that have been happening across the Big Bend and South Georiga.
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.
