The Feverent ICE March Protests

On February 9th, swathes of protestors took to the streets of San Jose to protest increased ICE activity in the city. These protestors, mostly encompassing people of Hispanic descent, valiantly marched from South King Road to KIPP Heartwood, where they were met with mounting support. 

Starting at two in the afternoon, the march featured various protestors with diverse reasons for joining the movement. Some stated that they joined the march because their familial situations were in cahoots with ICE in San Jose, mentioning that deportation efforts would create a permanent fork in their relationship. In addition, some protestors simply wanted their voice their concerns. “We had seen all of the raids in the area,” a protester we spoke to said, “we wanted our voices to be heard”. No matter what their reasons were, these protestors were passionately fighting against ICE raids.

At three, police escorts arrived and guided the protestors down South King Road. The protestors acted like a unit, chanting in unison for ICE to “leave us alone,” handing out water bottles to the thirsty and carrying signs and flags representing Hispanic culture. They were like a huddled mass of close friends and family members. 

The protestors marching down the streets were not a hassle to most of the neighboring cars. In fact, these cars honked in support of them. When the march crossed under the bridge section by Lavonne Ave., a euphony of honks, chants, and cheers echoed throughout the underpass. “It was a powerful moment,” a protestor remarked, “everyone was just for the movement”.

The protestors wanted San Jose officials to act against Trump’s immigration policies, but they knew they were limited in their capabilities. “It’s a federal issue; our local leaders can only do so much,” one protestor explained. Still, they recognized the value of their march, citing how valuable it was for them to come out. “We are here,” one protestor said “This is what we stand for, where our morals lie. We just want to get the message out there.”