Stockton- This past week on January 30th, 2026, hundreds of Lincoln High School students joined together for the nationwide shutdown in honor of the recent deaths and protests due to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the United States. After the fatal shootings in Minneapolis of civilians Alex Pretti and Renee Good, protests and strikes began in all 50 states with a goal of “disrupting business as usual” and “a way for Americans to register their mounting anger at the Trump administration’s deployment of ICE” (Fast Company- Mattson). However, here in Stockton, students all over the town, especially Lincoln High School spent the day out on the streets of Stockton voicing their opinion on the current situation.
Parents were notified by administration of a possibility of a protest here at Lincoln High School with an email regarding the student demonstration sent out by Principal Bender the night before. Students were explained their right to “exercise their First Amendment freedoms” (Bender), and were ensured to have additional staff and safety officers around the school for students to go to.
For the students, the day began at 8:25 in front of the Band Room where they gathered together to begin their walkout down to Lincoln Center. The peaceful protest lasted over three hours with the walk stretching eight miles long all the way down from Lincoln Center to Delta College, heading north to Hammer Lane, and finishing the walk back at Lincoln High School. For many students, joining the walkout was a statement to standing up for something far bigger than themselves. One of the students who chose to remain anonymous that was a part of the walkout shared this statement: “ I joined the walk to help document the moment. Seeing the youth, especially students on our campus, stand up for what they believe in was powerful, and capturing the moment felt important.” During this walkout many students like the one that shared their experience felt they delivered a clear and strong message that they hope the community and those beyond it recognize that the upcoming generation is demanding change in this country.
In summary, this day was filled with Lincoln students joined by other Stockton schools such as Chavez High School and Franklin High School who held walk outs of their own around the town near their high schools. This day showed true courage from Lincoln students and represented the ability for teenagers and young adults to voice their opinions and help bring change in whatever way they can.
