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About 200 Hollister High Students protested against U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) on Jan. 16 on campus, joining similar events nationwide.
A combination of students who did not attend their last class and others who were off for the day gathered at the Baler Plaza located along Nash Road around 1:30 p.m. and about an hour later marched east to Hwy 25, then walked along Prospect Avenue and ended at the Veterans Memorial Building on San Benito Street.
Freshman Sarabi Grace Muñoz said she organized the protest because many people in the community have lost their friends and families to ICE.
“We deserve to live in peace and not fear,” Muñoz said.
During the protest, the crowd repeated chants of “No ICE.” Before the students marched out of campus, they danced within the crowd that made a circle.
Muñoz said history is repeating itself with the increased ICE activity in the nation and that things won’t change unless the community does something. She said immigrants were welcomed in this country.
San Benito County Sheriff Eric Taylor said he is not aware of any ICE activity in San Benito County.
Muñoz said she didn’t expect even 100 people to show up but that the turnout shows the community can make change happen.
“You can make a stand and you can make a change,” she said. “All it takes is one person. I know it’s scary, I know it’s nerve-wracking, but your voice can do so much good in the world.”
Junior Anthony Keys De La Rosa said he was “neutral” on the subject but attended the event because he wanted to experience what is happening in school.
“Anyone or any conglomerate in this case can do something bad,” he said,” but just because someone or something does something bad doesn’t necessarily mean that they are bad.”
Several Hollister High staff members supervised the event located at various points of the campus.
Principal Kevin Medeiros said after two students reached out to him notifying him their intention to hold the protest, he met with them and informed them of their right to peacefully protest.
“I did let them know strictly that this is not a school-sponsored event, not a school-endorsed event,” he said. “However, it is our job as a school to maintain safety for all the students involved so we worked really hard to make sure to come up with that plan.”
He said they were also notified that students who missed their class would be marked with an unexcused absence.
Ahead of the protest, the school released a statement saying it respected the rights of the students.
“We believe these experiences can help students develop as informed, civic-minded and responsible members of our community.
It added that any actions that would ordinarily result in disciplinary consequences would be handled as they would in any other situation.
Hollister High School serves a diverse community with a wide range of perspectives,” it stated. “Every student has the right to feel safe, respected, and included on our campus.”
Hollister High students march in protest against ICE. Photo by Noe Magaña. 
Student protest started at the high school and ended downtown. Photo by Noe Magaña. 
Freshman Sarabi Grace Muñoz waves a flag as she leads the group of protesters. Photo by Noe Magaña. 
Hollister High Principal Kevin walks along with students to ensure they stay on the sidewalk. Photo by Noe Magaña.
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