Hundreds of people gathered at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) for “ICE out of 818” to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday. It was organized by a coalition of student groups who stated they were “answering the call” from fellow students in Minneapolis protesting the violence of ICE and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
An organizer of the event mentioned the recent ICE activity near campus as another motivation for the rally. The flyer for the protest was posted on Jan. 30, one day after the CSUN Department of Police Services (DPS) sent an email alerting students to the ICE presence.
As the crowd began to grow outside the University Student Union (USU), speakers held megaphones with one saying “today we reject violence” and encouraged students to turn their “anger, frustration, concern and fear into action.”
Hermoni Douglas, president of the Black Student Union (BSU), spoke to the group and emphasized the importance of student voices.
“We are so powerful beyond our limit,” Douglas said. “They are scared of us.”
Nhyira Bawua, also with the BSU, aired a similar notion and added that “real change only happens when we stand together.”
Ever Huerta, a cabinet member of M.E.Ch.A de CSUN, highlighted the importance of protests like these occurring on campus and said it provides students a more accessible opportunity to make their voices heard.
“It’s important that we show the university that we are a diverse amount of students,” Huerta said. “We come from different backgrounds, and it’s important that the university knows that they have a role in supporting our students and protecting our students.”
Various CSUN professors also joined students in solidarity with their concerns over ICE activity. George Grunauer, CSUN professor of Chicano studies, said he has had numerous students with family members who have been detained by ICE.
“It is very negatively impacting their education,” Grunauer said.
At one point, a counter-protester appeared and moved towards the center of the crowd, wielding a dual-sided sign reading “Thank You ICE” and “Jihad Kills.” The counter-protester was not affiliated with CSUN. Organizers and CSUN faculty began to surround the counter-protester.
“We were body blocking for the counter-protester, which is not because we support them, but because violence will make this protest not go through; the message will be sabotaged,” said a student and legal observer under the alias Whitkur Percy.
Percy is a member of the Students Organizing Against Oppression (SOAR) group on campus and noted that, despite the occasional counter-protesters, getting involved with protests on campus is “comparatively safe” and a good way to begin protecting one another.
Percy said it’s important to show the administration where the campus and its students stand through protests like these.
“It’s so important to take care of one another,” Percy said.
As the protesters began to move to the University Library Lawn, a student, Emani Lewis, snatched the counter-protester’s “Thank you ICE” sign and a fellow student, Samuel Babtise, provided her with an electric scooter to help her escape with the sign.
“ICE is out here disrespecting us, so we’re gonna disrespect them back,” Babtiste said.
Lewis said her motivation for stealing the sign was to “fight back an oppressor,” referring to ICE.
“It’s f— ICE, so if you’re out here to be going against f— ICE, it’s f— you too,” Lewis said.
Organizers of the event continued to encourage the protesters to remain peaceful and not engage in any agitations. Huerta said that counter-protesters can sometimes divert focus from the intended message of a protest, and that he hoped the positive intent was the message people left with.
“In reality, we all come here rooted with love, peace, and we want to make sure that we’re amplifying our community,” Huerta said.
