NEW YORK — A cold rain didn’t dampen the energy of several hundred New York City high school students who walked out of classes on Tuesday to protest President Donald Trump’s policies on immigration, education, women’s rights, race, the environment and other issues.
Since taking office less than three weeks ago, Trump has signed several controversial executive orders and memos, including an executive order that suspends the entry of refugees into the United States for 120 days, halts the entry of Syrian refugees indefinitely and bans citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from visiting the U.S. for the next 90 days. Another executive order calls for a wall to be built along the Mexican border and the immediate deportation of undocumented immigrants. Yet another cuts federal funding to sanctuary cities like New York.
Students walked out of classes around noon and poured into Manhattan’s Foley Square, where they rallied before marching to nearby U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement offices and continued up Broadway to Union Square Park.
As they marched, students were met by New Yorkers who honked, waved from office windows and high-fived to show support for the students and opposition to Trump.
Many students said their teachers supported the walk-out and their right to protest against what the young people consider racist, misogynist, xenophobic and dangerous actions by the Trump administration. The New York City Department of Education and the mayor’s office
did not respond to requests for comment, nor did they respond to questions about the number of students who walked out of class citywide.
The students, most of whom were not old enough to vote in the 2016 presidential election, ended the day chanting “We vote next” and vowing to vote in the next presidential election in 2020.
