Education Can Wait, Human Rights Can’t

By holding the protest during the academic day, the walkout disrupted routine, a disruption that was part of the message.”

History has shown that when young voices are ignored, they organize in a way that forces you to listen. Student activism has shaped social change for generations, often beginning with a small group of students willing to take a risk. At Peninsula High School, that risk meant stepping out of class and heading to the streets to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement and their impact not only on our community, but the entire country.

Ali Paquette, a senior at Peninsula, organized a walkout Jan. 29 in response to what she views as serious ethical and constitutional concerns about ICE. Paquette told me that recent enforcement actions have violated due process protections guaranteed under the Constitution and harmed individuals who have not committed crimes.

“What’s happening right now goes past just a left versus right political issue,” she said. “The way ICE is handling things is unethical and immoral. And no human being deserves to be treated like that, regardless of where they come from, the color of their skin, or the language they speak. Everyone deserves love and respect.”

One of the main concerns raised by parents was that the walkout took place during school hours. When I asked Paquette about those concerns and suggestions that the protest be moved outside of instructional time, she said, “I understand the concerns about giving up our school hours, but protesting is a First Amendment right, and I believe that it’s really important. School walkouts and protests have been happening for years and years, and they will continue to happen. And honestly, giving up our education is a big part of the point we are trying to prove because it shows how much we value these topics. We would rather take the unexcused absences, possible punishments, and backlash to be able to speak up for what’s happening.”

Her response raised a broader question: would the demonstration have drawn the same level of attention if it had taken place outside of school hours? By holding the protest during the academic day, the walkout disrupted routine; a disruption that, as Paquette suggested, was part of the message.

A frequent accusation on local community forums, particularly Gig Harbor Towntalk, was that students participated in the walkout simply as an excuse to skip class. That claim overlooks a key detail: skipping school is typically done quietly. Students who choose to avoid class rarely stand in visible areas near the school campus, holding signs and openly identifying themselves in a public demonstration. In doing so, they accepted that their participation would be seen, questioned, and punished.

During my interview with Paquette, I brought up that accusation. She responded with a brief laugh before pointing out that she missed art class, her favorite period, to participate in the walkout. The suggestion that she was simply looking for an excuse to skip did not align with her decision to give up something she enjoys.

I asked Paquette what message she hoped to leave readers with, especially those who didn’t agree with the walkout. Citing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s statement that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” she argued that allowing rights to be eroded in one context opens the door for other rights to be challenged elsewhere. “Even if someone is not directly affected now, that could change.” Despite her strong stance, she emphasized the importance of mutual respect in conversations about difficult issues.

Another walkout was held Feb. 13, and this time over 60 students attended, including me. What had once been described as a “small” demonstration had grown. Students gathered near the entrance of the school with their signs, ready to walk down to the nearby intersection. Despite the cold, everyone marched down the hill, immediately being met with honks of approval from passing cars. As we all settled in, we were met mostly with people giving us a brief thumbs up, smiles of gratitude, or a chorus of supportive honks.

As time passed, the tone of the reactions began to shift. Standing there, I found myself thinking back to something Paquette mentioned during our interview. She had said that although many passing drivers had shown encouragement at the previous protest, not all responses had been supportive. Some people yelled from their cars, others made obscene gestures, and in one instance, a man even threw a cup of ice towards the group of teenagers.

While nothing extreme occurred at the protest I attended, we were still confronted with hostility. Several adults driving past rolled down their windows to shout, and more than a few flipped us off. The contrast between encouragement and anger underscored just how divisive the issue remains.

This walkout was the first time I felt united with my peers over a passionate topic, and I felt a sense of pride standing beside them. There was something powerful about knowing we were willing to stand up publicly for something we believed in. History often looks back on ordinary people who chose to speak up, and I couldn’t help but wonder how this moment might one day be viewed. Maybe years from now, this will be remembered as a small moment, but for those of us who stood there, it was the moment we chose not to stay silent.

Camri Clawson is a senior at Peninsula High School.