All names of students have been removed for safety purposes.

On Friday, Jan. 30 at 11 a.m., Oak Park High School students left their classrooms and gathered on the Great Lawn for a student-organized walkout. Participants said they were joining the call of a broader, nationwide strike called “ICE Out,” in response to growing concerns about recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.

On the night of Jan. 29, an anonymous Instagram account published a post stating that they were planning a walkout the following day on Jan. 30. 

“OPHS WALKOUT TO THE GREAT LAWN FROM 11:00 TO 11:15 AM. THIS IS A PEACEFUL PROTEST AGAINST ICE,” the account wrote. 

According to a ParentSquare post from Principal Mathew McClenahan, approximately 250–300 students participated. 

“Never in my four years of attending Oak Park High School—and being in the Oak Park Unified School District for 14 years—have we ever had an open protest about political problems,” a senior said. 

Some protestors expressed pride in their fellow students and a sense of personal empowerment for participating in the walkout. 

“I never felt more powerful and outspoken before,” a junior said. “I immediately was like, I don’t care if I’m skipping class, I don’t care if something happens, I want to speak out about this.”

 Many were inspired to exercise their right to peaceful protest and free speech. 

“The people have a voice and we should use it,” a junior said. “I see people so eagerly getting up out of their seats, wanting to contribute and that’s something hard to ignore.”

The majority of students chose not to participate for varying reasons, citing student safety, political views and personal preferences. 

“There is nothing here that is going to influence anybody,” a freshman said. “Everyone thinks what they think and this isn’t going to change anything.” 

Students dispersed after approximately 40 minutes and returned to their classes. 

“There is an obvious precedent in society that teenagers don’t care about anything,” a junior said. “Seeing so many people here today obviously goes against that idea. It shows that we care. We are prepared to make an impact on our country.”