The Palo Alto High School administration is preparing for a student walkout at noon on Friday in protest of actions taken nationally by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to an email from principal Brent Kline to all Paly families, administrators and campus staff will ensure safety during the walkout, while teachers will continue instructional time in their classrooms.
“Administrators and campus staff will be present in common areas to support student safety,” Kline stated in the Thursday email. “Staff will remain on duty and focused on teaching and supervision.”
Additionally, the email contained information about California Senate Bill 955, which authorizes middle and high school students to have one excused absence per school year to participate in a civic or political event.
“We also want to share that California law (SB 955) allows students one excused absence per year for participation in a civic or political event, such as a permitted protest, when advance notice is provided to the school.” Kline said.
Organizer and activist junior Brian Miller informed the administration of the walkout in which students will walk to the Paly side of El Camino to protest.
“He [principal Brent Kline] was appreciative that I let him know [about the walkout],” Miller said. “He didn’t promote or deny it.”
The Paly administration did not respond to The Paly Voice’s request for further comment.
Miller says that he is organizing this protest because he feels that students are a core part of the changemaking process.
“I was thinking, why aren’t we doing something [to protest ICE] here?” Miller said. “Why are we waiting for people all around us to make change?”
An Instagram post by Miller raising awareness about the walkout currently has around 680 likes and 460 shares.
The Instagram post’s design was created by junior Leilani Chen, who says she plans to attend the walkout despite it taking up 20 minutes of 6th period.
“It’s not so much [time] that it will completely obstruct the period,” Chen said. “It’s important to let people in our community know that the actions of ICE are not something we’re willing to stand for.”