Coronado high school students walk out to protest ICE

Colorado Springs, CO – On January 12, students at Coronado High school in Colorado Springs staged a walk out to protest ICE’s murder of Renee Good, who graduated from Coronado High School in 2006.

Students were joined and supported by the Colorado Springs Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and many community members, including alumni who had been classmates with Renee Good.

At the start of lunch, students walked out and marched from Coronado High school to the visible, high traffic corner of W Fillmore Street and Centennial Boulevard, where a group of over 100 held signs with messages like “Rest in power Renee Good” and “The system isn’t broken, it was built this way.” As they marched they chanted “Coronado Cougars are here to stay! We want justice for Renee!” “Say her name, Renee Good!” “From Minnesota to the 719, observing ICE is not a crime!” They garnered support from many passing drivers who honked and waved.

“We are mourning for the loss of Renee Good, she was a fellow alumni of our school, she graduated in 2006, so we’re here to honor her memory and fight back ICE,” said Ricardo Madrigal, a student currently attending Coronado. “I felt angry when I heard that she was from Coronado” said Madrigal, recounting his reaction to finding out who the victim was. He went on to describe other victims, saying “Renee Good started this protest, but there have been other people that have been shot and killed by ICE, for example Keith Porter Jr. was also killed by ICE, really it’s just gotten to a point where we can’t even trust our own government.”

COSAARPR provided support in coordination with the students, providing equipment, signs, hot chocolate, as well as buttons and information about local victims of police crimes and the fight for community control of the police. Community members also made and brought buttons to share. A former classmate spoke about Good and thanked current students for fighting for justice for her.

After hours of chanting at the corner of a busy intersection, students marched back to Coronado High School, where they continued chanting until school got out. It was a powerful day of student-led protest, communal grieving for Renee Good, and calls for justice, accountability and change.

#ColoradoSpringsCO #CO #ImmigrantRights #ReneeGood #HighSchool #COSAARPR