Moderate crowds show up to support local “Abolish Ice” protest.
By Gabriela Grigs
Staff Writer
AC&T
Both Winthrop students and Rock Hill locals showed out on Sunday, Feb. 8 to protest against the practices of the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement, otherwise known as ICE. The event’s initiation came from Winthrop student Mars Simpson, secretary and co-founder of Rising Artists of Winthrop.
“America is no place for fascism,” the protest announcement reads, “[Come] engage in a peaceful protest with us against the neo-nazi regiment.”
The protest was born from frustrations following multiple aggressive, deadly, and brutal raids on homes and communities by ICE following the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump.
Students and locals stood along both sides of Dave Lyle Boulevard, one of the most actively used and primary roads in Rock Hill. Protesters stood for a couple hours, holding signs, chanting, and cheering for passing cars that honked in support of the cause.
Many of the present Winthrop students had much to say about the cause, like WU sophomore and environmental science major Alisa Olive.
“What brings me out here today is seeing all the injustices happening across our nation, with ICE, and [because] my family, [including] my grandma who immigrated here from Vietnam, have very contradicting political beliefs with mine,” Olive said. “My mom is first gen and she doesn’t see why ICE is an issue, so that really affects me, and I needed to come out here and just stand with everybody else.”
At the protest, many students came with signs already made. In the week leading up to the protest, campus groups such as the Student Environmental Action Coalition, also known as SEAC, in collaboration with Rising Artists of Winthrop and the Winthrop Socialist Student Union held meetings where students created signs and learned protesting etiquette.
“We’re here to bring some awareness, learn how to protest in our community, and learn how to give back and be more aware of the problems we have in our society right now,” president of SEAC Wally Rine said.
“I’ve been seeing videos of [ICE] doing terrible things to regular human people, my peers, so I just wanted to come here and show my support, whether it’s alone or with a big group,” Sophomore English student Vincent Schrock said.
“I believe that what is going on right now is very terrible and there needs to be people speaking up about it. It’s very grim right now, and I think that the more people organize, the more people come together… [will help] the people who are affected know that there are people who still believe in the right thing to do,” Senior Musical Theatre student Mark Blankenship-Brown said.
“[I’m here] for love, for my future, for my friends’ future. You make noise and you take up space and people know what you need. Rock Hill is beautiful and this community is so tight and cares for each other and holds each other up so well, I’m just so glad to be here,” Junior Fine Arts student Cassie Bleitz said.
Proper peaceful protest guidelines include proper, accurate preparation, thorough knowledge of the protesting environment and the surrounding area, avoiding provocative behavior, prioritizing de-escalation, and maintaining peace. The American Civil Liberties Union, a nonprofit American civil rights organization, has accessible information on protesters’ rights for both participants and aspiring organizers on their website, aclu.org.
Nearby, a group of participants set up tents near the protesting location where aspiring participants made their own signs on the spot.
Students participated with signs that read “Melt, Crush, and Abolish Ice,” among other phrases that captured the meaning of the protest: being against the current operations, activity, and practices of the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
Besides assorted signs, many students also held their own ideas of what kind of change they desired in government practices.
“I would like to see a more fair and easier immigration process for those trying to come into our country. I think currently, it’s too difficult for people to become U.S. citizens, and it really shouldn’t be. My mom talks about my grandma taking all these tests to become a citizen, and she studied for years and years, and it really shouldn’t be some years long process,” Olive said, “and if we want people who aren’t U.S citizens out, why don’t we make it easier for those [who want] to come in?”
“Hopefully we build a future where people are safer, and much more knowledgeable about the issues that we have, and have the ability to understand what’s wrong, to see what’s wrong, and understand what to do about it,” Rine said.
“I just want to see people treated like people, not less than people,” Schrock said.
“The fact that they have killed a white man in broad daylight means that absolutely nobody else is safe, and that is very frightening. I want to support my community and the people here the best that I can,” Blankenship-Brown said.
The protest was both conducted and concluded peacefully, with active efforts to not impose on the community, but to instead raise awareness towards government actions.
