By ZACH LAIRD, InDepthNH.org

DURHAM — About 250 students walked out of Oyster River High School at noon Friday to take a stand against actions being taken locally and across the country by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

Senior Class President Deems Brant said the group joined with students from the University of New Hampshire at Durham Community Church before marching down Main Street. More than 400 young advocates took part in the cause, according to Brant.

Brant and fellow students Caleb Bromley and Finn Stark said they came up with the
idea of the walkout to spread awareness of what’s happening around the country with
ICE.

“Today’s all about students expressing their voices,” Brant said. “Currently, I feel like we’re in a society where people see each other as enemies with opposite political views, but we’re all about bringing people together. Whether you support ICE or whether you’re against it, we all just want to be peaceful. There was no violence; we had signs, we talked, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Brant said he feels the foundation of civility is not forcing agreement on people, but by having important conversations with each other.

“We really want to be role models today, especially for the younger generations,” he said. “When you have something that’s important to you, this is how you let it be known.”

Stark said he was grateful for the outcome the event had and that it was amazing to see support from the community.

Student Raelyn Chamberlain explained that while her mother is an immigrant from Canada, she feels it’s still risky to leave home without her birth certificate, and carries it with her everywhere she goes.

Chamberlain said she hopes to spread the message that it’s not OK to mistreat people just because they’re from another country.

“We’re definitely getting to that point where our country is starting to show signs of going down a similar path that Germany did in the 1940s, and that’s definitely a terrifying concept to live with,” Chamberlain said.

Student Jeffrey Keyes said the walkout was a chance to exercise his first amendment
right to make a problem known to the community.

“Even if you’re underage and think that you might not have a voice, but as someone that is young, I feel that we definitely have to express our voice because we’re the next generation,” Keyes said. “We’re going to be taking over the world, and it’s important for us to let it be known that we’re here.”