After many months of seeing the atrocities committed in Gaza, the students of Minneapolis have said enough is enough! On Monday, January 29, at 10:20, about 200 pupils staged a walkout and made their way to Gold Medal Park to utilize their First Amendment right: the ability to protest. They started their march right at noon and protested throughout the streets as they marched to Amy Klobuchar’s office.
“They shouldn’t be killing people, first of all. There are people out there with no food, water, or houses. They’re being bombed, and people aren’t getting proper hospital treatment because they’re bombing hospitals! Which is just absolute f******* s***! I will not stand for that bro,” Lauren Frank (‘27) said.
Gathered atop the crest of the hill, the voices of the assembled student body [literally] rang across the grounds of Gold Medal Park, demanding change. They cried for the Government to stop the war aid that has been assisting the massacre of the children of Palestine. Their demands are below, stated directly from their website:
- An immediate stop to the Israeli siege on Gaza
- A stop to the active censorship of students in Palestine
- A reversal of all punitive action taken against students for action around Palestine, including the four Edina students who were suspended
- An end to all U.S. aid to Israel
Among the students, several adults volunteered to help keep things running smoothly. From neighbors to bikers, they helped control the crowd and make sure everyone was safe.
One member of the Bikers Riding Against Police Brutality, Miguel Hernandez, spoke about their involvement:
“I know it’s tough for a lot of adults to get out of work, but some of us could. And we’re happy to [be] here…. to provide freedom of speech, and take to the streets safely. People don’t feel safe around Minneapolis Police as much, so we’re there to provide that barrier because we keep us safe. We love seeing the youth get out there [protesting]. We love seeing what they’re totally capable of doing; we’ll support it. Just let us know,” Hernandez said.
This conflict has been raging for decades now, again heating up with attacks from HAMAs, but the often segregated districts of Minneapolis Public Schools came together to shout the statement, “Free Gaza!” in unison. It was an amazing display of unity between students of different backgrounds and classes, banding together to advocate for change.
