Student walkout in Quakertown ends in arrests after confrontation with police
A student-led strike to protest ICE escalated into a confrontation with police in Quakertown, leading to multiple arrests, including several students and one adult.
The walkout began as an anti-ICE protest, with students marching through the city while police monitored the situation. It’s unclear how the fight started, but by the end of the incident, five to six students and one adult were under arrest.
About 35 Quakertown High School students walked out around 11:30 a.m., despite warnings from school officials not to hold the event.
Video from the scene has raised questions about what happened.
In the footage, a man in a brown shirt, identified by sources as the Quakertown police chief, is seen strangling a girl as other students surround him. The video continues as the man falls to the ground. It is unclear how the confrontation began.
Witnesses, who asked to remain anonymous, said they witnessed the incident from a nearby restaurant.
“It upsets me. They were children. They were children ganging up on adults without any control over themselves,” said a witness.
Another witness said: “The man started attacking the students, and that’s when the other students intervened and tried to get him to stop. »
Police released a written statement saying some students were disruptive, throwing snowballs and damaging property.
In the release, officials said some students began blocking traffic, prompting additional officers to respond, and that some individuals assaulted officers.
Witnesses disputed this version.
“The situation was completely escalated by the police and it was extremely shocking to watch,” one witness said.
Quakertown High School was closed at one point. School officials said they informed students of a potential threat to their safety and asked them not to stage a walkout.
Several students were still detained later that night. Police have not spoken publicly beyond the written statement.
School officials said they were looking into the actions of any students who left the building without permission.
