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With recent reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Huntington, students gathered at the center of Marshall University’s campus to voice their concerns for their fellow students and community members.
Students at Marshall University carried signs that read “Appalachia Deserves Better Than This” and “Herd Over Hate” and chanted slogans such as “Mountaineers Are Always Free.”
Marshall student Athens Kitchen said it is their civic duty to protest and stand up for their peers who may not be able to speak out.
“We have a lot of international students, specifically here at Marshall, risking their safety with the presence of ICE is absurd,” Kitchen said. “They deserve to be here as much as anyone else.”
Marshall graduate Britt Aguirre said it is important to protest these issues because protesting can bring awareness.
“We have to make sure we are still exercising our rights so they’re not taken and we need to bring visibility and awareness to what is going on right now,” Aguirre said.
Kitchen also said it is important for people to exercise their rights when it comes to protesting.
“It’s important to protest and it’s important to use your rights especially if you have the privilege to protest without risk,” Kitchen said.
Despite classes and the weather, students still showed up to make their voices heard.
This report was produced thanks to a partnership between Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications and West Virginia Public Broadcasting.