Hundreds of students from across the Eastside walked out of school Tuesday morning in protest of federal immigration policies they say are hurting their communities.
They waved Mexican flags and held signs reading “Lo hago por mis papas,” and “Mis padres no son criminales por querer darnos una vida mejor.” One banner declared, “Lucha contra Trump.” Some were draped in Central American flags.
Garfield High School students were seen marching along Whittier Boulevard and appeared to be on their way to Roosevelt High. Students also walked along 1st Street toward Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez High as they marched to Los Angeles City Hall.
The walkout appears to have started around 10 a.m. and is the latest in a series of L.A. protests against aggressive immigration policies by the Trump administration.
Daniela, 16, a sophomore at Garfield High School, was in her passing period when one of her friends, through a microphone, declared they would be walking out, saying, “This is for our people!”
“From there, everybody just started walking out,” she said, adding that fire alarms also went off.
“I decided to walk out for my family, for my people, for everybody here,” she said. “Everybody is protesting for each other. Everybody is helping each other and keeping each other company. We’re all going through this together.”
Videos from inside hallways at Roosevelt showed students, knocking on doors and yelling, “Walkout!”
Erika, a Roosevelt High student, said her fellow peers encouraged her to start a walkout “because they know… I have a greater voice to take charge.”
“I wanted to encourage others to walk out because I myself come from immigrant descent,” Erika said. “I don’t think it’s right that this country is trying to rip up us away from our homes and I want to stand up and defend those that can’t.”
Nathan, 17, a senior at Garfield High, said walking out was important to him “because it’s a moment for us to speak up for our community, showing the nation that us Latinos matter and contribute much more than what people think.”
“We’re often overlooked or judged unfairly, but in reality, we help build this country in so many ways through hard work, culture, and dedication,” he said. “I hope that these walkouts show the country that we are powerful and that the U.S. needs us. If we step away, even for a short time, people will see the impact we have.”
From top left clockwise: Students walk across the 1st Street bridge. Photo by Andrew Lopez; Student protesters gather at City Hall. Photo by Victor Sauceda. Students walk out of Mendez High School. Photo by Andrew Lopez.
A Garfield High parent showed up to the walkout in support of her daughter and all students. The mother, in Spanish, said she wanted to encourage them to “fight for their rights and for their public education.”
Students from multiple Eastside schools, including Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez, Bravo Medical Magnet, Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter and Esteban E. Torres high schools, also joined the walkout.
An LAUSD spokesperson in a statement said the district “respects, encourages and supports the right of our students to advocate for causes that are important to them.”
“Attendance is important, and we encourage all of our students to come to school daily where they can safely learn and receive important resources.”
Carlos Montes, with the social justice organization Centro CSO, said parents and students alerted them about plans to walk out.
Montes, a leader in the 1968 Chicano Student Blowouts, said Garfield students were planning to pick up students from Roosevelt High to walk together to L.A. City Hall.
“We came out to support and encourage our students, give them direction to march safely,” said Montes.
A spokesperson with the Los Angeles Police Department said they were monitoring the protests and “allowing them to exercise their First Amendment rights.”
Multiple streets were temporarily closed in downtown L.A. as protests grew, LAPD posted on X.
Boyle Heights Beat youth reporters Ismerai Calcaneo and Adriana Valencia contributed to this report. Additional reporting by Boyle Heights Beat youth reporters.
This story has been updated.
Editor’s Note: In this story, Boyle Heights Beat is identifying sources who are not public figures by first name and age/grade and place of residence or attending school to protect their identities.