Bloomington, MN – Students from Jefferson and Kennedy High Schools in Bloomington walked out of class on December 14, to demand justice for Palestine. 70 students walked out before their sixth period class and marched to Bloomington City Hall for a joint rally.

This was the sixth student walkout in the Twin Cities metro area in the past two months. The Bloomington students organized this action to show their support with the people in Palestine and to express their concern about the rising death toll of Palestinians – over 18,000 so far.

Kennedy High School senior Nora said, “We feel it's important to show our solidarity with the kids in Palestine who are being murdered and who have lost their families and lost their right to go to school like we get to do every day. And so regardless of the outcome of this walkout, and how important, it ends up getting to the wider world. We have a moral obligation to take a stand and show our solidarity with Palestine.”

After marching to city hall, they held a speak-out. Audrey, a ninth grader at Kennedy, explained why it is important for students to protest, “Students in Minneapolis and Edina have already walked out for Palestine. Three Edina high school students have been suspended for chanting, ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!’”

Audrey continued, “We believe that it is important to understand that criticizing Israel does not equal antisemitism. The liberation of one group of people does not have to include the oppression of another. It is so important that we are out here today, because we need to defend the right for students to protest for Palestine. And it is vital that we don't pretend like this is normal. Genocide should never be normal. The killing of children should never be normal. Committing war crimes should never be normal. I am here today to show my support with people in Gaza, and to show my solidarity with the kids that are just like me that are being slaughtered.”

On the same day, Blaine High School students also organized a Palestine solidarity walkout of 40 students.

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