Dozens of students walked out of Evanston Township High School Friday to protest the war in Iran as well as other moves made by President Donald Trump\u2019s administration, including his mass deportation campaign.<\/p>\n
Students from the north suburban school carried signs that read \u201cwar is costly, peace is priceless\u201d and \u201cAbolish ICE,\u201d a slogan calling for the end of the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.<\/p>\n
They walked to the school\u2019s football field a few blocks away, where about 150 students gathered in the blue and orange stands. Speakers called for peace in Iran and other areas experiencing conflict, such as Gaza and Ukraine.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the latest in a string of student-led walkouts at high schools<\/u><\/a> nationally and in the Chicago area<\/u><\/a> but Friday\u2019s walkout appears to be one of the few centered on the war in Iran. Students said they\u2019ve discussed the conflict among themselves and in school. Teachers have had to figure out the right way<\/u><\/a> to talk with students about the war.<\/p>\n Students at this school have walked out before. In January, they marched to protest ICE. Some students are planning on participating in Saturday\u2019s \u201cNo Kings\u201d protests<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n Senior Lillian Roth has listened to a close friend who has family in Iran talk about the uncertainty she feels as the month-long war rages on.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really heartbreaking to know that there\u2019s nothing she can even do about it, and there was really no reason for the war in the first place,\u201d Lillian said.<\/p>\n Lillian Roth, 17, is worried about the human and financial toll of the war in Iran and was among the Evanston Township High School students who participated in a protest Friday.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Anthony Vazquez\/Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Lillian is worried about the financial cost, too. The 17-year-old would rather the U.S. put the billions it has spent on the war with Iran<\/u><\/a> toward other causes, like education, health care or improving infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so many better things to put that money towards than war,\u201d Lillian said. \u201cMy friends and I will talk about it outside of school, and it\u2019s a pressing issue to all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n More than 1,900 people in Iran and nearly 1,100 people in Lebanon have been killed in the war. Millions have been displaced. Eighteen people have died in Israel, while four Israeli soldiers have also been killed in Lebanon. Thirteen U.S. military members have died.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re all just scared of the death and the destruction that the major war powers are enacting, and it\u2019s ridiculous, quite frankly,\u201d said Kevin Watts, a junior. \u201cI think the students here know that and they are fighting against it with this and with other protests.\u201d<\/p>\n Kevin, a member of the school\u2019s student union, which organized the protest, said while students are discussing these issues amongst each other in and out of school, the rally was also intended to raise awareness among those who aren\u2019t as plugged in.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople are definitely aware of what\u2019s happening with immigration. They\u2019re aware about the war. Many of our students drive so they\u2019re aware that the gas prices are going up,\u201d Kevin said. \u201cSome of them may be wondering why, which is why we have things like this.\u201d<\/p>\n A few dozen Evanston Township High School students walked out of school Friday to protest the war in Iran and the Trump administration\u2019s mass deportation campaign. It is the latest in a string of student-led protests in the Chicago area.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/p>\n Anthony Vazquez\/Sun-Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Students at the rally on Friday also offered other ways their classmates could make their voices heard. Organizers handed out flyers with information about how to contact local representatives to share their concerns about the war, immigration policy or other issues affecting young people.<\/p>\n Freshman Valeria Miranda, 14, walked out of school to protest the Trump administration\u2019s deportation campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cMy family is from Mexico and I feel awful about what\u2019s happening,\u201d Valeria said. \u201cHow people get deported straight off the streets. \u2026 I\u2019m oftentimes scared that it could be my parents who are next.\u201d<\/p>\n Valeria said more young people should be speaking out and was disappointed at the turnout for Friday\u2019s protest which drew a fraction of the 3,400 students<\/u><\/a> who attend the school.<\/p>\n \u201cThe stands feel kind of empty and I wish that more people would have come out,\u201d Valeria said. \u201cBecause right now things are awful.\u201d<\/p>\n Contributing: AP<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/cst.brightspotcdn.com\/dims4\/default\/e62426a\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/6122x4083+0+0\/resize\/840x560!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2Fc7%2F2d%2F9a88e2a44c94ae30a5baec2c86dd%2Fevanstonprotestwar-260328-14.jpg\")
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