A (Mostly) Silent Protest Unifies JJHS Students Against Bullying

At 2:09 pm on Tuesday, November 15th, approximately 140 John Jay High School students stood in the freezing rain in front of their school. They chose to “walk out” of their ninth period classes to protest national and local bullying in the wake of this controversial election season.

But do not be mistaken: the event’s primary organizers – Isabelle Pierce, Will Palmieri, Hannah Ziegler, Caleigh Morgan, Kent Leska-Kent, and Sofia Rossi–insist that the event was not a protest against President Elect, Donald J. Trump. Rather, it was meant to be a “non-partisan event with no political affiliation,” as proclaimed on the event’s Facebook page.

Will Palmieri summarized this perfectly: “People are afraid to go to school, because they have been marginalized and are disaffected. That’s not okay. We are here to stand with them and return their voices.”

People are afraid to go to school, because they have been marginalized and are disaffected. That’s not okay. We are here to stand with them and return their voices.

— Will Palmieri

While all students unified on this chilly afternoon–signs, umbrellas, raincoats, and all–to protest harassment, the groups individual students chose to represent varied. People filled their “I stand with…” signs with marginalized groups such as LGBT individuals, women, African-Americans, latinos, refugees, and Muslims. All of these groups have recently faced harassment across the country. By showing their unified effort to protect these minorities, student protesters hope to end school harassment.

A JJHS junior, Daylin Litchman, stated that he was there to “protest the oppression and hate that minorities face from day to day.” Many gave similar answers; Senior Ashley Ramsay said that she stood for women’s rights; Junior Charles Rusciano said he stood for LGBTQA+ rights.

Not all students stood solely for minority rights. JJHS junior Emily Pardo stated she stood for “respect for all other human beings.” Senior Ishmam Nur stated he stood to “discourage the recent influx of negative behavior.” Senior Lizzy Perry says that “there are people that can’t stand up for themselves.” She believes that “it’s our job, as well-off people, to advocate for people who can’t advocate for themselves.”

So, how effective was the walkout? It certainly gained recognition: school administrators and police officers stood nearby. News 12 covered the peaceful protest from across the street.  However, students not involved in the walkout seemed to misunderstand it. A group of students hung an enormous Trump/Pence sign in the high school window for protesters to see. It was quickly removed, since the walkout was not held in opposition the president elect.

In fact, JJHS senior Annabelle Puglisi stated she stood against “violence toward LGBT’s, minorities, and Trump supporters alike.” She claimed she wanted to end hate, and our new president’s symbolism of that hate.

In response to the window display, approximately one fifth of the demonstrators (myself included) broke the silence. They cried, “minority rights are under attack | it’s our job to fight back,” granting a voice to often silenced oppressed groups. This was effective in encouraging strength and support for minority students, but dis-unified the protesters. Again, this well-intentioned dissent dissipated quickly.

Whether the walkout itself influenced the John Jay Student body in a positive way is yet to be determined, but one thing is certain: the willingness of these young protesters to stand in the cold rain for the rights of marginalized groups encourages a future America more bright and generous than the one we live in today.