Elyria High School students walk out, protesting ICE and $9M in proposed school budget cuts

Описание: Students at Elyria High School walked out of class Wednesday morning, saying they are fed up.

Chanting “defund ICE … fund education,” dozens of students left class during an extended homeroom period to protest not only immigration enforcement nationwide but also what they describe as a lack of funding for local public schools.

“The objective was to empower the student body and to ... show them that they can use the voice that they do have that the adults on the outside of this building don't think that we have,” said senior Dekarion Wimberly, who was one of two organizers of the walkout.

While defunding ICE would not automatically increase school funding, Wimberly and his co-organizer Xander Frisch, said they are trying to get lawmakers’ attention … peacefully pushing for accountability and fairness on both issues.

“Yes, we achieved the fact of like having a lot of students (participating), but also, it's more than that, it's long term,” Frisch explained. “It's will we get the attention of the political figures that make these plans that are affecting us in negative ways.”

Wimberly also pointed to the power of student voters.

“I saw a lot of seniors who are going to be 18 and I would just like to let them (lawmakers) know that we will be voting in the midterms and every election after that and we will be holding them accountable because we have the power for their jobs,” he said.

Danielle Wiggins reports. --

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