The Cobb County School District said Tuesday that students who take part in a planned walkout to protest U.S. immigration actions in Minnesota later this week will be subject to suspension and other disciplinary measures.
The planned protests include Lassiter, Wheeler and Sprayberry high schools in East Cobb, according to abolish.ice.georgia.
It bills itself as a student-run organization that is encouraging students to walk out of their classes Friday to protest the controversy in Minneapolis, where two protesters have been shot and killed in recent weeks by federal agents.
ICE is the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, which has been in Minneapolis in recent weeks as part of a 3,000-troop federal effort to detain illegal immigrants, and whose ranks include the U.S. Border Patrol.
On Saturday, an intensive-care nurse, Alex Pretti, was killed by a Border Patrol officer, two weeks after Renee Good was shot and killed in her vehicle while blocking Border Patrol officers in a Minneapolis street.
Abolish.ICE.Georgia says it’s “not here to cause chaos or disrespect anyone — we are here to stand together as one voice, one community, and one generation that refuses to stay silent.
“When we walk out, we are not skipping class for no reason; we are raising awareness, speaking up for what is right, and showing that we care about the lives and futures of our people. We are stronger when we unite, and our power comes from our unity.”
In a statement issued at its website, the Cobb school district said that any students walking out would be in violation of the district’s student conduct policy.
“Your teachers and principal are focused on teaching and learning,” the district statement said.
“While we respect the right of students to express their views in a non-disruptive way, students are expected to be in class and engaged in learning throughout the school day.”
In addition to suspensions, the punishments listed include “the potential loss of parking privileges, sports, and extracurricular privileges. Each has long-lasting impacts that could be taken into account by college admission offices and future employers.”
Students around the country have been marching to protest the ICE actions in Minnesota. On Monday, President Donald Trump spoke with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey about de-escalating tensions and revamping the federal presence there.
Some school students in DeKalb County conducted walkouts on Friday, including more than 600 at Druid Hills High School.
The abolish.ice.georgia Instagram page includes a graphic indicating that protests are being planned at a number of Cobb high schools.
Among them is Lassiter High School, with a walkout planned after the 4th period Friday at the main school entrance.
At Sprayberry, the protest is slated after thd 3rd block at the football field. The Wheeler protest is also scheduled after the 3rd block at the main school entrance.
Other schools that may have protests in Cobb are at Harrison, Kennesaw Mountain, Allatoona, Campbell, Osborne, South Cobb, McEachern and Marietta high schools. 
“This is not about hate it’s about justice, dignity, and human rights,” abolish.ice.georgia said. “We will not let fear control us, and we will not let threats silence us. We are the new generation, and we are awake. We will speak, we will stand, and we will be heard. If they try to divide us, we will stay united. If they try to ignore us, we will become louder. We are here, we are united, and we will not be silenced.”
Cobb Board of Education member John Cristadoro, who represents Post 5 in East Cobb and whose children attend Walton High School, said on his Facebook page late Tuesday that “as a parent of two high school students, I am extremely concerned about messages that have been circulated to children in our county.”
In 2018, the Cobb school district suspended students who walked out to protest a deadly mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
Those included students at Walton, Pope, Wheeler and Lassiter high schools in East Cobb. During that school day, the district closed off public access and in some cases had law enforcement block entrances to school campuses.
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