A wave of demonstrations swept through downtown Tucson on Friday, as thousands joined a national strike against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The movement, marked by the mantra “no work, no school, no shopping,” aims to challenge the Trump administration’s intensified immigration policies.
The strike was set off by recent fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, where two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed. In Tucson, businesses and schools echoed the nationwide call to protest by closing their doors, sending a clear message of dissent against these actions.
University Campus as a Focal Point
The University of Arizona became a hub of activity, with hundreds of students assembling to express their outrage. Signs demanding justice for Good and Pretti waved in the air as a student organizer addressed the crowd. “If they don’t care about people, we need to hit them where it hurts, and that’s money, so we are striking today,” the organizer declared, emphasizing the power of collective action. “Because the most powerful thing that we as workers and students can do is withhold our labor.”
In a show of solidarity, around 1,000 educators from Tucson schools joined the protests. Tiffany Kassel, an educator within the Tucson Unified School District, stressed the importance of standing with the community. “We want to make sure our kids are safe,” she noted. “And make sure that all of our children, no matter where they come from. So that’s what teachers were striving for today.”
Kassel managed the logistics of covering for striking teachers before joining the protest, highlighting the fear among students due to the heightened ICE presence. “We all think about our safety every day and the safety of our kids in the climate and environment we live in, even more so in this new, frankly horrifying, climate where children can be snatched from their classrooms and employees and others can be targeted as well,” she explained.
Accompanied by her husband Joshua, Kassel stressed the importance of community support. “We have a federal government that is out of control and we as people need to push back and let them know that this is not OK,” Joshua said. “And especially for folks who are like me, middle aged, white, it’s very important to make sure that our demographic get our faces out there,” he said.
The strike led to the cancellation of classes in at least 21 Tucson schools, though facilities stayed open for access to transportation and meals.
