Seattle Students Walkout in Anti-ICE Protest
By CWPUSA Member
On February 5th, thousands of students in Seattle and Shoreline gathered in front of City Hall after an 11 AM walkout to express their opposition to ICE activity in the area. Students first assembled on the sidewalk and plaza with signs and flags, chanting phrases like “El pueblo unido jamás será vencido,” “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here,” and “Fuck ICE,” just to name a few.
The energy in the plaza was initially fragile and on the verge of subsiding. However, down in the street, protesters began to inch farther off the sidewalks, eventually taking over a four-way intersection and multiple streets. A group of shirtless students led the way from the intersection. Passing the courthouse and through City Hall Park, thousands of students marched behind the leading group, then took over 3rd Ave in a march toward the Space Needle.
Those who organized the protest on social media asked students to return to the plaza, as they did not have a permit to march. This fractured the numbers in the streets, with the majority looping back to the plaza on 4th Ave.
The willingness of the youth to resist, to take to the streets, and to disregard the rules imposed by the city government regarding when and where they exercise their rights is the most promising sign of genuine growth and a militant disposition. This stands in opposition to working within the frameworks of decrepit liberal organizations and fighting for a return to “normalcy.”
The clearest sentiment of the youth, and a critical lesson for the popular movement, is that there is no “normal” for millions of people in this country. This includes those born during or slightly before the financial crisis of 2008, or at least suffering in its aftermath; those growing up through COVID and all three campaigns of Donald Trump; and now those witnessing the crystallization of a new, violent police force. This is a generation shaped and emboldened by the intense contradictions of a rotting and suicidal system. It is the generation most willing to act outside of that system and strive toward building a better world for the majority, all while still learning, still coming to terms with the way that must be done.
