Edison High School students staged a walkout last week in support of Palestine, district spokeswoman Nikki Henry confirmed Monday.
The students began their protest prior to the end of the school day just before 3 p.m. Thursday at the southwest Fresno high school, she said.
When asked whether the students who participated in walking off campus before the end of school would face any repercussions, Henry said, “There are no repercussions as we would not want to infringe on our students’ First Amendment rights.”
School administration and safety staff were on hand to make sure students remained safe during the walkout.
The Know Youth Media published a story Sunday on the walkout, identifying students Jason Zavala and Ally Ayala as two of the organizers. The story quoted Zavala as saying that as a member of the American Indigenous community, he feels an affinity with people who have been forcibly removed from their lands and deprived of food and water.
The goal of the protest was to educate his fellow students about what is happening now in Gaza to Palestinians and to show support for a ceasefire, Zavala reportedly told The Know Youth Media reporter.
After the Oct. 17 Hamas attack on Israel, Israel declared war and has taken steps to wipe out Hamas. The resulting war has killed more than 11,000 Palestinians, including many women and children, according to news reports.
