Community Education
Gig Harbor High students from across the political spectrum make their voices heard
An estimated 100 Gig Harbor High School students participated in an anti-ICE protest on Friday.
The walkout was not a school-sanctioned event and was organized by students.
An event flier posted on Facebook read: “ANTI-ICE. JOIN THE GHHS WALKOUT! PEACEFUL walkout against ICE.” Students were encouraged to bring signs and “be prepared” as they walked downtown at noon.
Gig Harbor High School students walk down Rosedale Street to protest at Skansie Brothers Park on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann
Part of history
Gig Harbor High School junior Lily Swenson-Boyer helped spread the word about the protest.
“We want to be part of the movement. We want to be part of history,” the 17-year-old said.
She explained that the walkout was inspired by other protests across the country and at Peninsula High School.
“The murder of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti was also a big factor in speaking out,” she said.
Federal officers killed Good and Pretti, both American citizens, during an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis last month. On Feb. 12, Border Czar Tom Homan announced an end to the immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
With handmade signs waving in the air, students departed campus at noon and marched down Rosedale Street chanting: “No ICE, No KKK, No Fascists USA,” and “This is what democracy looks like!”
Trump supporters
Adults supporting the protest dotted the roadside down to Skansie Brothers Park. A larger group stood near Wilkinson Farm Park holding a sign that read, “Get on the Good Side of History,” ringing cattle bells and shouting messages of support.
Some drivers expressed opposition as they passed the student protesters. A gray pickup truck displayed a large red “Trump 2024: Take America Back” flag from its truck bed.
A few vehicles flying Trump flags passed by the Gig Harbor High School protest group on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann
The students initially passed the park and continued to the intersection of Harborview Drive and Pioneer Way. At the intersection, students stood on the corners chanting and waving signs before returning to protest along the street near Skansie Brothers Park. Students gathered atop the Jerisich Public Dock viewing platform, along the stairway, and at all corners of Rosedale Street and Harborview Drive.
A group of counterprotesters walked along Harborview Drive through the crowd holding a “Trump Make America Great Again” flag and shouting, “We love Trump! Jesus loves you! Trump is awesome!”
Counter-protesters hold Trump banners and wave to passing vehicles on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, on Harborview Drive. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann
Personal ties for some students
While the protest remained peaceful, both sides passionately vocalized their views. “No ICE, No KKK, No Fascists USA,” one protester chanted as she walked toward the Trump supporters, taking a position alongside fellow students across the street.
Payton, 16, held a sign that read: “My Jewish ancestors would not approve. ICE = Gestapo. ABOLISH ICE.” For her, the issue is personal.
“I lost family in the Holocaust, and now it’s happening again,” she said. After watching the news, she decided to participate. “This protest is something we can do because I can’t vote yet.”
Protesters from Gig Harbor High School stand on the Jerisich Public Dock Viewing Platform during a driving rainstorm on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann
A 15-year-old Gig Harbor High School sophomore who asked not to be named said family ties also motivated participation. “I have Hispanic heritage, and I guess I want to support my people and everything going on,” the student said.
Camdyn McDowell reflected a sentiment shared by many of the teens, that high school students understand the complexities of current events.
Camdyn McDowell joined the Gig Harbor High School protesters on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann
“We are young, but we are able to understand. What is happening in the world is devastating and should not be happening,” the 16-year-old said. Her sign read: “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
Swenson-Boyer said she hopes the student-led protest sends a message to adults. “Children are leaving school to protest. We shouldn’t have to leave school to get this message across,” she said.
Opposing viewpoints
Seventeen-year-old David joined a small group of about six to eight Trump supporters who counterprotested.
“We know people in this town have more than one opinion. We want people to be able to express their opinion with one another about what they believe in,” he said.
Gig Harbor High School students protest at Skansie Brothers Park on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann
“Honestly, I like ICE, what they’re doing,” said the Gig Harbor junior. “They make mistakes, but so do officers, cops. And just because they’re doing something they (people) don’t like, you don’t have to hate them for it.”
He also said teens should be able to express differing views.
“Obviously, we have a lot to learn, but I think we can express our own opinions that differ,” he said.
Like many of the protesters, he acknowledged a political divide at school. He noted that he has friends who participated in the protest and said he did not understand why differing political views cause people to be unkind to one another.