On Friday, September 5, about 40 high school students opted not to seek lunch on Park Street but instead marched to City Hall, where they gathered to demand greater safety in schools.
The Alameda students were part of a nationwide walkout organized by Students Demand Action [1] in response to the killing of students at Annunciation School and Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 27.
[2]Carrying signs saying “Ban Assault Weapons Instead of Books” and “Protect Kids Not Guns,” the group heard speeches and chanted before expressing themselves in chalk on the ground of City Hall. Student leader Amelia Forder, carrying a bullhorn, said, “I don’t want to go to a school where I don’t think I’m safe…Thoughts and prayers are no longer enough.” Echoing that concern was Jay Boardman, who declared, “I don’t want to worry about my safety when I’m trying to learn.”
According to CNN, there have been 44 school shootings in 2025 [3], a statistic displayed on a sign carried by a student on Friday.
This action took place within the recent context of new fencing being built around both Alameda High School (AHS) and Encinal Junior and Senior High School (EHS). Those fences are part of several projects happening at either end of Central Avenue—a new athletic field at EHS and a new pool at AHS. While the fences are attractive in appearance, the objective is safety.
[4]Gene Kahane is the founder of the Foodbank Players [5], a lifelong teacher, and former Poet Laureate for the City of Alameda. Reach him at [email protected] [6]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Gene-Kahane [7].