They arrived in small groups of twos and threes. A steady trickle of students gathered near the base of Santa Clara University’s landmark Bronco statue on Jan. 30 as part of a nationwide day of action.
Some of them carried homemade protest signs. Others simply wanted to see what was going on and then stayed for the cause. In the end, hundreds joined as one to stand with the people of Minneapolis and demand an end to what is happening on American streets.
“The community is here standing with those marginalized peoples. Really a show of, as we put it, people power; showing that people are showing up,” said Alexis Figueroa, president of Students for Justice in Palestine and an SCU junior.
“People are angry about this. People are frustrated about everything that’s going on, and people want to see change, and people are willing to come out here, put their time and effort, and make a little bit of sacrifice today to say that they want those changes to happen,” Figueroa continued.
“Practically every policy Donald Trump stands for is in direct opposition to what we as student leaders and learners at a Jesuit institution are taught to cherish. His actions openly contradict our Jesuit values,” SCU ASB President Claire Krebs told the crowd. “If we truly wish to uphold our ideals of Cura personalis, faith that does justice and being people for and with others, we must then dedicate ourselves to doing all that we can to reject Trump’s actions and refuse to believe that the offenses we are seeing are normal. They are anything but.”
It was not just students in the crowd, but also faculty and community members. Mike Sage, a Santa Clara resident, arrived early and sang “We Shall Overcome,” as people began to arrive.
He said what ICE is doing is in contradiction to his faith.
“Our mission on Earth is to glorify God, and God wants us to promote the values that he has set forth in the Bible, such as faith, hope, love, kindness, mercy, compassion, peace,” said Sage. “So, every one of us who recognizes that fact is on a mission or should be on a mission to promote those ideas and principles.”
An SCU student who chose not to give his name addressed the crowd and echoed Sage’s sentiments.
“God tells us to love thy name, and he provides no stipulations to this love … we must never forget to love our neighbors, to protect our neighbors, provide for our neighbors, regardless of race, ethnicity or citizenship status,” he said. “When things feel hopeless, impossible or fraught. Choose love. When the road ahead is dark and uncertain. Choose love. When it feels like there is nothing left to do. Choose love. Lean on it. Fight for it. Protect it with all that you are. And if we can keep doing this, if we can keep choosing love, one day soon, love will prevail.”
After the rally, the group marched through the campus.
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