Oregon students ditched school for the second time in two weeks to protest a “BUILD A WALL” banner that was temporarily hung at a high school, even though the individual claiming responsibility for the banner has already issued a public apology.
On May 19, students at Forest Grove High School staged a walkout in order to protest a student hanging a banner that read “BUILD A WALL” at the school.
The Forest Grove students, along with hundreds of students from local schools, marched with Mexican flags and chanted “si se puede" ("yes we can").
One of the protesters told KGW, “It’s our right to be upset. Things like this shouldn’t happen. It’s a school. It’s not a place for you to voice your opinion. It’s okay to have opinions. It’s not okay to try to put people down.”
According to the apology issued by one of the students involved in the incident, the banner was intended to foster a discussion about freedom of speech.
“I wanted to do something provocative to protest what I see as restrictions on freedom of speech,” the student wrote. “I was feeling like people weren’t open to discuss sensitive issues, because no matter what is said, no matter what words I used, someone says, ‘That’s offensive!’ I was angry, and I thought this would be a great way to express my belief in freedom of speech.”
The unidentified student also wrote that he or she is “truly sorry” for anyone whose feels were hurt by the banner and that he or she will now “work to learn about other cultures and how different people perceive different messages.”
The school administration, which made the apology public, noted, “The family will be working with others to explore ways to further educate this family member, and all their children, about the consequences of words and actions, about racism, and about community responsibilities.”
Despite the apology, Portland high school students and college activists decided they were going to make a spectacle out of the incident.
OregonLive reports activists planned to rally on Monday to express their opposition to the banner. The activists allegedly met at 12:30 p.m. and marched to Portland City Hall and Portland State University.
Greg McKelvey, a Lewis & Clark College law student who helped plan the protest, told OregonLive, “In public schools, a lot of kids are undocumented or their parents are undocumented."
“To come to school and have a sign that says your family shouldn't be here would make anyone want to protest. We have a strong activist community in Oregon, and they want to get behind these kids,” he continued.
One of McKelvey’s Instagram posts from the “#StandUpFG” shows him allegedly saying, “So if they have freedom of speech to say that we’re not allowed to be with our families where we grew up, then we have freedom of speech to organize and tell them to f**k off.”
Considering the age of the Forest Grove High School student who first hung the banner has never been specified in any coverage of the incident, it is possible McKelvey told a minor to “f**k off” for the sake of his activism.