On January 30, a student walkout and protest was organized by Freyjaa Kirti (12) and Greta Fick-Furlotte (12), Granada and Livermore High students respectively, along with Indivisible Tri-Valley, a local volunteer-activist group. The demonstration was part of a larger nationwide general strike planned for the same day, calling for “no work, no school, [and] no shopping.”
The strike was a direct response to the increasingly violent ICE occupation of Minnesota, where two demonstrators were shot and killed by federal border agents. The latter killing, the victim being a 37 year old US citizen and ICU nurse, occurred on January 24th, and a video showing Pretti filming border agents and helping a woman up before being tackled, beaten, and shot to death intensified the outrage already present, leading to the calls for the strike six days later.
For organizers, the fast-moving situation presented a challenge. “We really only started getting wind [of the strike] on the evening of the 27, so I was a little bit hesitant,” Kirti said. I didn’t know if we could do it in that amount of time, but as soon as I decided we were going to do it, I went straight to organizing, publicizing as much as I could.”
Despite the impromptu nature of the demonstration, it turned out to exceed expectations. “We had anticipated 100 to 200 people, and I think it came out to about 1,000,” Kirti said, and her estimate is modest compared to others, with “The Independent” reporting over 2,000 demonstrators.
“We made sure there were trained peacekeepers there… we had a sign-making station, we had speakers, we had some people playing the drums, some people playing the guitar… We just thought it was kind of ridiculous, and really heartening to see the amount of people that came out,” said Kirti.
The overall mood was high, with cars honking as they passed, creative signs being shown off, students leading chants while parading around the intersection, and live music being performed. While a few people came to agitate against the protesters, spirits remained high and the excitement was palpable. For many people I spoke to, this was their first protest, and for the peacekeepers, generally on the older side, there was some concern about what might happen with that combination of excitement and inexperience.
“They want to keep everyone safe… and as long as everyone is physically safe, it is okay for there to be a little bit of excitement because it fits into the message,” Kirti said. “I don’t think if we were all just standing there and chatting with each other it would necessarily paint the same picture.”
To Kirti, this successfulness speaks to the prescience of civic engagement in our current political moment. “While Livermore isn’t necessarily a small town, it’s not known for being particularly liberal,” she said. “So, getting numbers like that throughout the country, not just in metropolitan areas, is a testament to how everyone is cognizant of what’s happening, and everyone cares.”
