BUCKS COUNTY, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — About a handful of teenagers and one adult were taken into custody Friday morning after a student-led walkout at Quakertown Community High School.
Acting Quakertown Superintendent Lisa Hoffman said Quakertown High School tried to cancel the planned walkout against ICE on Friday over safety concerns and sent a note to families at 6:45 a.m.
Defying the school’s decision, she said 35 students walked out around 11:30 a.m. and made their way to Front Street in Quakertown, where law enforcement said students began throwing snowballs at cars, kicking people, and at one point, tried to block traffic. Hoffman said they received notification from law enforcement that some students were engaging in “unsafe and disruptive behavior.”
Videos circulating on social media captured tensions flaring during the march at Front and Juniper streets as an unidentified man grabbed a student from behind, and other students jumped in to defend. Police then got involved, and they said some students assaulted officers.
Police said five or six juveniles were arrested along with an adult man.
Quakertown High School and its elementary school went on external lockdowns — those were lifted at 1:15 p.m.
Authorities are still investigating the incident, which also left one student bloodied. They said more arrests could be made.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the incident but said it is monitoring it and would provide more details as they become available.