Students from Wooster High School, Reno High School and other schools gathered at the Federal Courthouse in Reno on Wednesday afternoon for a pro-Palestinian protest.
The walkout was organized by Palestine Solidarity Reno, a collective of individuals and local organizations that support the people of Palestine.
Students met at two different parking lots and made their way to the courthouse, where they held signs and chanted. Most wore masks to protect their identities, and some were accompanied by their parents.
The students KUNR spoke with declined to be interviewed.
In an email to KUNR, Washoe County School District said that while they encourage students to express their thoughts, feelings, and opinions about local, national, and international issues, their first priority is educating them.
The students who participated in the walkout were marked tardy or absent, the district said.
Salam Naby, a Palestinian-American who lives in Reno, attended the protest. She said it is important for students to participate because they are exercising their freedom of speech.
“It is very important to be voiced because they're not just speaking for themselves and how they feel, but how they feel about other people that are being impacted by the wrongdoings of other people because it's not natural for us to see other people get harmed. So it's very important that the kids are out here to express that internally, like what they feel inside, to express that,” Naby said.
The demonstration comes as protests in support of Palestine intensify at universities and colleges across the country.
