Students at Slippery Rock University came together in solidarity with the nationwide strike to protest the recent controversies of U.S. Immigrations and Customs officers (ICE) on Jan. 30.
Over fifty students from all backgrounds, majors and expressions gathered in the quad and began their march for justice across campus around noon that Friday.
Ariella Westreich, the ERA Advocates founder and president, came up with the protest idea, and was a key person organizing and gaining traction for the protest.
“There comes a certain point when you really have to speak up,” Westreich said. “When people around you are being fatally shot or when innocent people, like five-year-old kids, are being dragged out of their homes. Now is the time to speak up.”
Since the protest, students on campus have aired grievance with the current political climate and how it has shaped their identity as an American.
“I want to be proud to be an American and live in a place that’s safe for myself and others,” Ruby Chahal, a junior history major, said. “We want the community and the government to know we won’t just sit back and let our neighbors, our friends and ourselves deal with what’s going on alone.”
Some have also spoken about their rights and how they feel about them, especially the first amendment, being disregarded.
“I feel very strongly on the core values of what it is to be an American. Especially when we talk about being liberated and free, I don’t think there’s anything free about not being able to say what you want to a federal agent without being shot,” Angel Snell-Guerrero, a 19-year-old cybersecurity major said.
After the murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minnesota, people across the nation have begun to feel unsafe and are wary of the turn this administration has taken. Students on our campus not only echo their concerns, but also share how anxious they are for the future.
“The state of our country is awful. America is not a safe nation anymore,” protestor Kaiden Carlson said. “I’m so disappointed in our country and what it has so easily fallen into.”
Some have also spoken about the fear of our country turning into a dictatorship and how grim the next few years may seem.
“I’m very concerned about the situation in the United States today. This has been said to death, but it’s true that you can see the rise of fascism in the country,” Charlie Stoops, a 21-year-old history major said. “I worry things will get worse before they get better.”
In the days following the protest, many sparked outrage on social media sites, particularly Fizz and Yik Yak.
“Yes, protest on a very small campus where nobody cares and is laughing. You want to make a real difference email your local and state politicians,” an anonymous user on Fizz wrote.
“Changing the world one useless protest that no one cares about at a time,” another anonymous user holding the same sentiment on Yik Yak said.
When asked about the backlash, Westreich responded, “People can hate, and they can complain, but what are they doing for their community? We’re not claiming to solve world hunger or doing this to scare ICE away, but we organized and used our voices, and that’s better than doing nothing.”
Westreich and her organization also arranged an educational rally last semester showcasing speakers on academic freedom, immigration, women’s rights and more.
“I hope we bring more protests to Slippery Rock so that people get used to it, and we take action and stand up for what’s right,” Westreich said.
