Yesterday afternoon, as the bell marking the end of sixth period rang, groups of SHS students made their way to the Brewster Entrance. Whether they heard about it through word of mouth or saw one of the many posters plastered around the school, the SHS student body was clearly aware of the organized protest in response to the recent actions of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, more commonly known as ICE. 

“ICE is kidnapping and killing people. It is a fascist organization, and we must abolish it,” event organizer Tavish MacMillan ’26 shared. MacMillan led the participating students in a march around the school, walking from the Brewster Entrance to the Scarsdale Public Library, which they passed through silently, holding their signs up proudly. 

MacMillan organized the protest as part of a larger, nationwide effort, known as the “Solidarity Free America Walkout,” which was created by the organization Women’s March. The event was planned specifically on the anniversary of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, in order to protest the actions of his administration. Women’s March called people from around the U.S. to “walk out on fascism.” 

MacMillan, who is a senior in The Scarsdale Alternative School (A-School), learned about the protest as part of his A-School annual internship. He has been working with the WESPAC Foundation, a Westchester-based nonprofit that works to spread “progressive social change…for a more just and peaceful world.” WESPAC provided MacMillan with information about the protest, which allowed him to organize the walkout at SHS. “The internship is the reason I had the time to make signs, hang up flyers, and spread the word,” MacMillan explained.

MacMillan also felt it was important to speak on why the protest was happening, and gave a brief speech to the participants of the protest. He spoke not only about national trends, but specifically about ICE’s impact in Scarsdale—where tensions have only risen since 20-year-old Yeonsoo Go, a 2024 Scarsdale High School graduate, was detained by ICE for five days in early August 2025 without legal cause. Go came to the U.S. in 2021 with her mother, who works as an Episcopal church pastor in Scarsdale. 

“If this can happen to her, it can happen to anyone, because she was here legally. I showed up to stand up for her and the others who were abused by this system,” Russel Potack ’29 said. Many students came for reasons like Potack’s; whether they came from families of immigrants, knew someone affected by recent circumstances, or just wanted to get involved and show their solidarity, dozens of students followed MacMillan, shouting slogans of “ICE is not nice” and “ICE will melt.” 

“ICE is not welcome. Not just here, but anywhere in our country,” Alex Carter ’26 said, a sentiment that was shared by many members of the protest. “The goal of the protest was visual. Seeing reporters here makes me glad, as it means the word is getting out,” Carter went on. Students posed for photographs with posters and signs, holding them up as students and administrators alike looked on. 

The SHS administration was aware of the event in advance, and made preparations accordingly. “We saw a few signs around the school on Friday, so we had an inkling that something was going to happen,” SHS Principal Kenneth Bonamo explained. “I notified the staff that we should be prepared. We came here to make sure that everything was peaceful, and that there were no injuries with the snow.” Ultimately, there were no reported injuries, and the protest remained entirely safe.

For many participating students, the walkout represented a visible statement within their own community, offering a way for them to express their views on national immigration policies and their local effect in Scarsdale. While the protest only lasted a period, organizers and participants alike considered it to be a success. 

The demonstration culminated with a performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” which participants sang as a symbolic ending to the walkout, before dispersing shortly thereafter.