Edina High School students walked out of class Wednesday afternoon to protest their district’s “support for Israel,” which is at war with Hamas after the terrorist organization slaughtered Israeli civilians in an Oct. 7 attack.
“We all [saw] the email Edina Public Schools sent out showing their ‘support’ for Israel. History is repeating itself, an ethnic cleansing is happening to Palestine right now yet we close our eyes,” says a post on an Instagram page created for the walkout.
“Allah says, ‘and fight them until there is no fitnah and [until] the religion, all of it, is for Allah,’” the post continues. “Those who remain silent inadvertently support this oppression. Not speaking up is giving the green light to the Zionist.”
Other posts on the Instagram page accuse Israel of carrying out “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide” of Palestinians in Gaza.
Students have also circulated a “statement of solidarity with Palestinians,” which urges school faculty to show “flexibility” to students in “completing assignments” because they “may be grieving.”
“Our concern lies in the fact that our school’s message seemed to focus exclusively on one side of the equation, which does not align with our commitment to justice, peace, and equality. The ongoing genocide in Gaza has vividly exposed [the] brutality of the Israeli regime, aided and endorsed by the United States,” the statement says.
Wednesday’s walkout, which was endorsed by Minneapolis City Council candidate Zach Metzger, featured about 75 students who marched along Valley View Road carrying signs expressing support for Palestine.
“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” the students repeatedly chanted.
There were a number of police officers in vehicles in neighborhoods across the street from the school and a few squad cars parked outside the front of the school.
The principals of Edina High School and Valley View Middle School, which are situated right next to each other, told families in an email that “walkouts are not district sanctioned events.”
“While students generally have the right to free speech while on school grounds, they may not engage in any protests or demonstrations that cause a substantial disruption to the learning environment, and any violations of district policy that take place during a walkout event will be addressed in accordance with the district’s discipline policy,” the email said.
They said there would be an increased police presence throughout the day and noted that leaving the building without parental permission constitutes an unexcused absence.
“As previously stated, Edina Public Schools deeply condemns antisemitism and islamophobia. We will not tolerate hateful or inappropriate comments or behaviors of any kind and will work diligently to provide a safe and inclusive environment for our students and staff. If a student witnesses hateful speech or behavior, they should immediately report it to a teacher or school administrator,” the email said.
Anthony Gockowski
Anthony Gockowski is Editor-in-Chief of Alpha News. He previously worked as an editor for The Minnesota Sun and Campus Reform, and wrote for the Daily Caller.
