The sharp backlash to the early weeks of the second Donald Trump administration has been felt in Los Angeles, but perhaps no group has been more vocal than local students.
On Thursday, over 50 Samohi students made a beeline from campus to Santa Monica City Hall, staging a protest against the Trump administration’s executive actions targeting the LGBTQ+ community, as well as standing firm with immigrants.
The walkout was also enacted by students at Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences, Malibu High School and Venice High School, among others. Samohi students planned the event for weeks, using the classroom of Feminist Literature teacher Elizabeth Waters to organize and create signage for the day.
Trump’s rhetoric has been divisive across the nation, with the students’ fury aimed at three subjects: Treatment of LGBTQ+ citizens, the status of Samohi as a safe haven for immigrants, and the potential freeze of federal funding towards school campuses that teach diversity studies.
“We started seeing the insane slew of executive orders that were just egregious, (and) I think it became pretty apparent that we wanted to do something,” Samohi senior and event organizer Sarah Javerbaum said. “It was just so many violations on our environment, our communities, on people we love, on things we love and cherish. I think it was not really an option to not do anything.”
A bevy of students took the megaphone on the City Hall steps to voice their displeasure with the administration, affirming their allegiance to the credo “trans lives are human lives.” On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order barring transgender women and girls from female sports, seen by the student contingent as yet another attack on gender issues.
The local higher education institution also took note of this order, with Santa Monica College Superintendent Kathryn Jeffery condemning the transgender sports ban on Thursday.
“SMC will continue to follow California law which allows transgender athletes to participate in sports … (SMC) remains committed to standing strong as a beacon of equality and inclusivity for all students,” Jeffery wrote.
In her feminist literature class, Waters focuses on gender and transgender issues, seeing firsthand the panic in her students as Trump stepped back into office last month. Waters, along with Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association President Claudia Bautista-Nicholas, coordinated with city officials and the office of Mayor Lana Negrete to make sure it was a safe, yet effective, endeavor.
“They felt really powerless, really scared, but also really motivated to make their voices heard,” Waters said. “I could see that motivation in my class, but it really came from the students saying we want to do something, we want to walk out, we want to protest what’s happening.”
And protest they did, making a call to action that it’s the student’s “right and privilege” to participate. Once at City Hall, there were profanity-laced tirades and calls and responses that were responded with bigger cheers every time.
Choosing City Hall for the protest, Javerbaum said it was important to bring a “list of demands” including wanting local resolutions defending LGBTQ+ students in schools and preventing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from detaining students.
“We wanted to be able to communicate to our immediate constituents of our city (and) say this is what we stand for, this is our opinion on the current political climate, and we want you to protect our rights as your constituents,” Samohi senior and organizer Elliott Ho added.
SMMUSD officials have been actively listening to students’ concerns, particularly committing to the district as a safe haven after the Trump administration moved to rescind ICE’s “sensitive locations” policy. The policy prevents immigration enforcement actions in or around locations such as schools.
“The change to the policy does not overrule a child’s constitutional right to an education,” SMMUSD Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton wrote this past week. “It also does not overrule state constitutional protections. A lawfully executed court order is required for access … SMMUSD will continue to be the welcoming school district to all students in the neighborhoods we serve.”
On Thursday, nearly 40 members of the Roosevelt Elementary School Parent-Teacher Association approved a letter calling on SMMUSD to provide comprehensive staff training on how to support undocumented students and their families, and to create a culture of “celebration and support” for students of different backgrounds.
“Our schools must be more than safe zones in name - they must be places where students know, without question, that they belong and that we stand by them,” Roosevelt PTA Legislation Chair Amy Wiwuga wrote. “As a district that prides itself on equity, inclusion and excellence, we have a responsibility to meet this moment with both compassion and action.”
The high attendance of the protest was a surprise to another organizer, senior Kayman Mangan, who said she received initial backlash from some students who thought it was a “symbolic act of protest” that wouldn’t make immediate change.
“I’m constantly surrounded by ignorant fools who do nothing but sit on their ass and think oh, I’m just one person, so I can’t do anything, and that is just the opposite of the truth … seeing everyone out here today was really epic and awesome, and I can’t believe we got this many people,” Mangan said.
Javerbaum agreed, saying that “apathy is the killer of all progress.” With speaker after speaker taking to the megaphone, the Samohi contingent proved it was anything but apathetic.
“It was really moving to me … I’m so proud of their ability to speak in front of a crowd, their ability to make their beliefs heard,” Waters said. “As an English teacher, it’s like a dream come true to watch students using their voice to advocate for what they believe in.”
