20 | JUNE 6 • 2024 J N A round 150 high school students at Ann Arbor’s Skyline High School participated in a “Walk Out for Palestine” on May 20. A smaller group of students at Pioneer High School also par- ticipated on their campus. The protest appears to have been organized through an Instagram account called @ eagles_against_g3n0c1d3_ that was created in early May. The account posted various social media messages to garner sup- port for the event. One post outlined rules for the protest, emphasizing “absolutely no antisemitic slogans, symbols or statements” and stating that “nobody who does not attend Skyline High School may attend the campus protest. ” Videos and photos from the event, posted on Instagram, show students chanting “Israel bombs, USA pays. How many kids have we killed today?” Participants held signs reading “ceasefire now, ” “free Palestine” and “invest in healthcare not in warfare. ” Several students delivered speeches during the walkout. One student equated the Israel- Hamas war with the Holocaust, saying, “When Germany was trying to wipe out the Jews, America stood by and did nothing. Look where it got us. Six million Jews killed. This is the same thing. We are killing people because of something they cannot control. Because they live somewhere. And that is not right. They are killing people for no reason. ” Another speaker declared, “Israel is committing a geno- cide! 35,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israel!” One student addressed those attending just to get out of class, saying, “I know some of you are here to skip class. Shame on you!” Some hecklers could be heard on the videos; they were quickly shut down by others yelling, “Shut up!” One Jewish student, who requested to remain anony- mous, expressed that some of their friends participated “mostly to skip class, ” but was concerned that they didn’t understand the impact of the protest on Jewish students. Another student, who said they are not Jewish, expressed that they found it disruptive when their classmates walked out during instruction time. This student, who asked to remain anonymous, felt that the protest took away from learning time. “This kind of event is dis- tressing for those who support Israel and are appalled by Hamas’ terror attack, ” Rabbi Asher Lopatin, director of community relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, wrote in an email. “We wish that those protesting would call for a release of hos- tages held by Hamas. “We call on the district to ensure that such protests do not include hate speech and that protesters are respectful of the rights of others who have differing views to express them- selves. ” Lopatin added that part of his role is organizing parents to work with the schools “to ensure they focus on educating students instead of letting divi- sive world issues lead to educa- tional chaos. ” Ann Arbor Public Schools Director of Communications Andrew Cluley confirmed that teachers were instructed to stay “content neutral. ” Teachers were told to remain in class unless the entire class participated in the protest. Those not teaching during the protest were asked to ensure student safety by walking at the back of the walkout. Cluley also confirmed that no formal instruction on the Israel-Hamas war has been provided to students. Ann Arbor Public Schools has posted guidelines for student-led protests. AAPS says it supports student free speech but states that any protest must not disrupt classwork or cause significant disorder. The district aims to ensure a structured and supervised environment for all students, whether they participate in the protest or not. Students at two Ann Arbor high schools walk out during class. ‘Walk Out for Palestine’ OUR COMMUNITY LEFT: Students at Skyline High School at their May 20 protest. ABOVE: The flyer for the walkout at Skyline High School, “Protest to Divest.” LAURA PASEK SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS