Students Rally for Climate Legislation and Immigration Reform in Ashland
By Steve Mitchell, Ashland.news
Braving the winter air, approximately 200 students from Ashland High School took to the streets in a significant demonstration on Friday, January 30. Their dual purpose was to push for state climate legislation and to object to federal immigration policies.
The march, orchestrated by the nonprofit Rogue Climate, saw students journeying from their school to the Ashland Plaza. This event was a plea to state lawmakers to approve the Climate Resilience Superfund bill in the upcoming 2026 Oregon Legislative Session, which commences on February 2.
The proposed bill seeks to shift the financial responsibility for climate-related damages from the residents of Oregon to the large fossil fuel corporations, particularly those out-of-state, accountable for emissions between 1994 and 2024. The funds would bolster wildfire prevention and resilience throughout the state.
Amara Lowe, leading the high school’s Black Student Union, emphasized the bill’s importance, citing the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized communities. “The average Oregonian should not have to suffer because of big oil,” she stated. “It is time for those polluters to answer for the damage they have caused and be held accountable for what they have done and what they haven’t done.”
According to the 2024 Carbon Majors report, companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron are among about 50 major fossil fuel producers linked to 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions over the past decade.
The event’s organizers, including Sage Thatcher, underscored the local implications of climate change, mentioning the unusual weather and wildfire threats in the region. “We’re standing here in Ashland in weather that doesn’t feel like winter at all,” Thatcher remarked.
Keeya Wiki, a senior at Ashland High and one of the event’s coordinators, encouraged attendees to remain vocal. “I encourage you all to use your voice like you are today,” she said, urging peers to reach out to local representatives to demand reform.
The rally was part of the “Make Polluters Pay campaign’s National Week of Action.” Similar rallies were held by South Medford, Crater, and Eagle Point High Schools, according to Rogue Climate.
School administrators informed parents that students participating in the walkout would be marked unexcused, in line with district policy. They emphasized student safety, noting staff could not supervise off-campus activities.
Rogue Climate plans a “multigenerational” rally on Saturday, January 31, at Medford’s Vogel Plaza.
Protesting Federal Immigration Policies
In addition to climate issues, students voiced their concerns about federal immigration enforcement actions, which have recently led to fatal encounters in Minneapolis. The protest joined a broader call for businesses to close and students to walk out nationwide.
Lily Glosser, a junior, shared her personal connection as the daughter of an immigrant. She vowed to continue her activism, stating, “I will be educating myself. I will be participating in activism. I will be speaking out and spreading the word. I will not sit by and do nothing.”
Glosser expressed the fear experienced by many in vulnerable communities, worried about the potential for federal agents to target her family.
As the demonstration concluded, organizers thanked the attendees and stressed the importance of maintaining peaceful protests, especially in the presence of counter-protesters. No counter demonstrations occurred during the Ashland event.
Original Story at ashland.news