Around 300 students from Northwood, Portola and Irvine high schools participated in a joint non-school-affiliated walkout last Friday at 1 p.m. as part of a statewide protest against ICE.
“We really want people to show that we’re really passionate,” Irvine Youth Unite (IYU) organizer Northwood junior Sadik Premjee said. “Even if we’re a small community, we have a really big message to share. When one community is oppressed, everyone shows up for them. It’s the message that counts.”
Seeking to highlight direct connections between ICE, policing and incarceration in recognition of Black History Month following the Jan. 30 national shutdown, co-organizers Northwood senior Lauryn Chew and Walnut High School senior Cindy Chen initiated California Youth Unite, a coalition of students from over 50 middle schools, high schools and colleges from San Diego to Sacramento. The coalition is endorsed by over 15 grassroots organizations, including Black Lives Matter Los Angeles.
The citywide walkout, rally and banner drop was organized by IYU, a CAYU chapter led by high schoolers who spent February hosting community events and coordinating logistics, safety measures and outreach. IYU received support from local organizations like OC Banner Drop for Palestine, VietRISE, Students for Socialism at UCI, Jewish Voice for Peace OC, OC Community Self-Defense Coalition and OC Democratic Socialists of America.
IYU tailored their demands to address local concerns, calling for transparent law enforcement policies; the removal of ICE from Orange County, including by blocking ICE’s reported office lease in Irvine; free speech protections; and divestment from policing and investment in community well-being. The group also urges Rep. Dave Min to co-sponsor H.R. 3565, the “Block the Bombs Act.”
“It feels like history is repeating itself, and I don’t want everything people have fought for to lose its meaning,” Northwood senior Amelia Zabib said. “This is our country, and we’ve fought so many years for it to be free. I support immigrants—my parents are immigrants from Lebanon—and I support the cause that we’re fighting for.”
To ensure safety, IYU designated student press and police liaisons, recruited trained medics, and held protest preparation and community-building events. Adult volunteers from local organizations helped monitor crosswalks and distribute water, snacks and first aid at rest stations along the routes.
“My job is to make sure we’re on the same page as law enforcement … to make clear that we’re simply expressing our First Amendment rights to protest,” police liaison Northwood junior Dan Cantillon said. “It’s important to ensure that our movement maintains its peaceful nature and that everyone involved remains safe.”
Northwood student protestors walked 3.5 miles, holding signs and chanting while drivers honked in support, before joining students from Irvine and Portola at the pedestrian bridge on Jeffrey Road and Roosevelt for a rally featuring speeches from three students, including Northwood senior Meiwen Zajtmann.
“I decided I couldn’t just stand by and sit quietly and watch anymore,” Zajtmann said. “If we all band together and show the government that we’re not OK with this, we can create enough tension that society can’t ignore us anymore and change the way people in communities across America are treated.”
IYU hopes to continue hosting community events and partnering with local organizations to amplify their demands to local and state leaders, support impacted community members and engage in ongoing political education. For more information, visit @ca.youthunite and @irvine.youthunite on Instagram.
Disclaimer: Lauryn Chew is the Online Editor-in-Chief of The Northwood Howler.
