Making a statement

Several dozen Crooked Oak High School students walked out of their last period on Friday, Feb. 20, to stage a protest against federal immigration enforcement.

The demonstration, which lasted about 10 minutes, was the latest to occur at an Oklahoma City area high school. Some Republican lawmakers have called on state schools officials to block the protests or discipline teachers who help organize the events. Critics have countered that students are expressing their free speech rights.

At Crooked Oak, school faculty and staff watched from a distance as students gathered near the main entrance to the campus. The students waved signs and chanted as cars drove by in the parking lot. There were no visible counter protesters, and a lone Oklahoma Highway Patrol car that was parked across the street left the area before the walkout started.