COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah — Thousands of Utah students walked out of their schools during class Friday to protest recent actions of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and those from other federal agencies across the country.
Just before 11 a.m., students at Brighton High School in Cottonwood Heights and Bountiful High School were seen holding signs and chanting on their campuses. Morning walkouts were also scheduled for Highland, Cottonwood, Olympus and Skyline high schools.
Larger walkouts are planned later in the day at Taylorsville High School and the University of Utah.
Students at Brighton High School held signs that read "No Secret Police" and "Trust Your Eyes, Not Their Lies" during the event, which ended after about an hour.
Following a student walkout at Bennion Junior High School in South Salt Lake, the Granite School District said students who participated in the protest would be marked as absent unless a parent excused their actions.
"The Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that schools must respect our students’ First Amendment rights and their desire to express their views on issues that matter to them," Granite School District said in a statement. "Our top priority in these situations is maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and staff."
The walkouts come in the aftermath of deadly shootings by federal agents operating in Minneapolis. Renee Good and Alex Pretti were both shot and killed on the street by agents. On Friday, the Department of Justice opened a civil rights probe into Pretti's death, which was widely captured on video.
"We're looking at everything that would shed light on what happened that day and in the days and weeks leading up to what happened," said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
