Students at Georgia College & State University held an anti-ICE rally last Friday on GCSU’s front campus. This comes just a week after the death of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, and the students displayed passion, frustration, and a desire for change.
Many came to show their support by bringing signs and marching on campus grounds, while skipping class and work to be there. The rally was also accompanied by speeches from various minority led campus groups.
The rally was completely student-led and was organized by the GCSU mutual aid group, an organization dedicated to service and progressive change for GCSU and the larger Milledgeville community. Its most recent work includes helping to build a community garden at New Beginnings Outreach Ministries. One student speaker, Sid Hughes, gave her thoughts on what it meant to participate.
“Being a part of that rally Friday was really inspiring. It showed how many people actually stand for something and want to see it come to fruition,” she said.
“Being silent is being compliant and the only way to progress forward is to make noise.”
The noise Hughes mentions was heard throughout campus, with some students claiming the rally’s chants could be heard in classrooms and even downtown. Those at the rally were not afraid to make their voices heard, while drawing even more observers as the rally went on.
Another GCSU student, Isabella Turner, shared her hope for what rallies like this can accomplish.
“I hope to show solidarity for the people that are being impacted by ICE,” she said. “It made me emotional to see all of the GCSU students at the protest being passionate about the same issues I am.
Even if legislative change doesn’t come from this, I hope people know they are supported and that not everyone agrees with what is raining down upon them.”
Most students either watched at a distance or were just passing by. Turner noted that while most students there shared her view, others did not. Some observing were “scoffing and making light of the issue.” However, there was never an instance of outward conflict between the two groups.
“With protests starting across the country,” Hughes said, “I really hope that our Congress members wake up and seriously start being more aggressive on ICE. They have the power to control their funding and propose new legislation, but despite all of this uproar, they’ve done next to nothing.”
A similar rally also occurred in the downtown areas this past Saturday, led mostly by community members. In the meantime, GCSU Mutual Aid is raising money for people in Minneapolis and stated that they will be hosting another rally March 6.