Shouts and chants filled Johnson Drive as students carried signs and flags and left school to protest President Donald Trump’s administration and Kansas lawmakers. On May 1, more than 50 students left their 7th hour class and marched to Broadmoor Park.
While six people planned the specifics including junior Norman Mendez, students from different schools involved with Mobilize KS also organized the demonstration. On their Instagram, Mobilize KS invited people in the community to join the protest, including adults and students from all over the district.
“After our first walkout in February, I felt a calling. I’ve always wanted to help use my voice for good, so when my friend Norman started organizing this one, I felt like I finally had a jumping-off point,” a freshman said. “The First Amendment is one of the most important and integral things to American society. Failing to use it would be failing our ancestors, those who laid down their lives during the Revolution, the first Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, the fight for women’s suffrage and many more times of struggle.”
Mendez intended to show opposition to the recent actions of the government.
“The message I hope to send is that of opposition that we, the students of Kansas, regardless of race, faith and class oppose what both our state and federal governments have been doing,” Mendez said. “We oppose the attacks on our freedom of speech as students by the Kansas Legislature, we oppose the attacks on our trans and brown-skinned friends, family and neighbors and we oppose the attacks on those who protest against the federal government for merely voicing their opinion.”
Following the walkout, Principal David Ewers sent out an email to parents and students addressing the protest.
“As a staff, while we haven’t organized or supported this activity, we have a responsibility to ensure the safety of our students,” Ewers wrote. “We have always worked to identify a safe location on our school grounds for students to gather.”
After the first walkout on Feb. 11, comments on social media said that the only reason students attended the protests was so they could get out of school.
“I disagree with those who believe walkouts are a vehicle to get out of schoolwork. A walkout is meant to show that students are willing to sacrifice time for their own education because whatever is being protested is urgent and atrocious enough it is worth missing class to protest against it,” Mendez said. “The people online who say that the students at walkouts are just skippers are either missing the point of the walkout or are actively trying to discredit and undermine the message of the walkout to protect their own power.”
