Piedmont middle and high school students walked off campus on Friday afternoon as part of a nationwide demonstration against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Trump administration’s immigration policies. The students gathered in Piedmont Park at 12:30 p.m. before walking down Oakland Avenue to the intersection of Grand Avenue where cars signaled their support of the walkout by honking as the group crossed the intersection.
The “no work, no school, no shopping” movement on Jan. 30 was a national response to the ongoing violent tactics used by ICE and Customs and Border Patrol officers in Minneapolis, including the fatal shooting by federal agents of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in January. Grassroots organizing groups like Indivisible, 50501 Movement, and others spread word of the walkouts on social media.
Piedmont Middle School Principal Karyn Shipp said in an email to families on Friday afternoon that the students who left campus had parent or guardian approval to do so. “Please know that we take these situations seriously and are committed to supporting student voice while prioritizing safety at all times,” she said, adding that there was administrative supervision of the students in the park and of those who remained on campus. Shipp and other school staff accompanied students as they gathered at the park and later walked down Oakland Avenue. Students and staff continued to Lake Merritt before turning back to Piedmont, one participant said.
Not all local businesses participated in the demonstration but a scan of social media of stores on College and Piedmont avenues showed that many had shut down in solidarity for the day. As students gathered at the Exedra fountain, some drivers in passing cars, delivery trucks, and buses honked in support, to loud cheers in response from the crowd.
More protests across the country — including one in Piedmont organized by PREC — are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 31. The Piedmont gathering will take place at Highland and Oakland Avenues from noon to 2 p.m.