More Than 300 North Eugene High Students Walk Out Over ICE

At least 300 students left North Eugene High School’s cafeteria in the late morning on Feb. 17 and marched down Silver Lane and River Road to cluster under the Randy Papé Beltline interchange, local accounts reported. Observers said the walkout began after speakers in the cafeteria and was seen by commuters as students gathered on the grass at the edge of the Beltline under the highway overpass.

The Amnesty International Club at North Eugene had announced a 10:30 a.m. walkout; reporters observed students exiting campus around 10:45 a.m. Several outlets noted that North Eugene High has approximately 1,000 students, making the protest roughly one-third of the school population based on the reported participation numbers.

Senior Hevyn Rivera, who was photographed leading chants during the march, framed the action as a push for district attention. “I'm hoping that this really opens people's eyes,” Rivera said. “Hopefully, it'll make the school district want to protect their students better and give them the opportunity to use their voice.” Another student identified only as Snyder described the local climate for Latino students and students of color: “It can be hard to see people say either racist things or hateful things to our Latino community or people of color at school,” Snyder said. “I know solidarity really improves all communities, and it helps everyone not feel isolated.”

Students waved signs, used megaphones and wore or draped Mexican flags as they marched; a Lookout photo credited to Isaac Wasserman shows Alán Ortiz holding a Mexican flag near the Beltline overpass. Participants chanted “ICE out” at passing cars during the River Road portion of the route, and several outlets captured images of students clustered under the Beltline overpass and on the grassy slope visible to traffic.

Organizers and participants laid out specific policy demands in the protest coverage. Students called for state or local rules to prevent federal agents from wearing face coverings during enforcement operations, require agents to identify themselves, ban warrantless arrests by federal agents and block construction of a rumored new ICE facility in Newport. Coverage ties the North Eugene walkout to a wave of student protests across Eugene-Springfield: Willamette High and South Eugene High held walkouts the previous week and other schools named included Springfield High, Churchill High and Spencer Butte Middle.

The walkout also followed a downtown Presidents Day rally at the federal building organized by Eugene Student Action, where a student named Khaya said, “I think what's happening now is so wrong, and the fact that it can just happen is insane. I think that it's important that we show that we're not okay with it and it shouldn't be happening.” The reports reviewed include no immediate statements from North Eugene High administration, the Eugene School District, local law enforcement or federal authorities about the protest or the students’ policy demands.