Napa students protest Trump’s election

Students from four Napa high schools left school Thursday morning to protest the election of Donald Trump as president.

Between 400 and 500 students from Napa, New Tech, Vintage and Valley Oak high schools participated in the march that started around 9 a.m. to Memorial Stadium on Menlo Avenue about a block north of Napa High School, Napa Valley Unified School District spokeswoman Elizabeth Emmett said.

Students spoke at the rally, which was attended by some school district staff members and local elected officials, Emmett said.

The students organized the march and rally through social media Wednesday, and those who participated will be charged with an unexcused absence, Emmett said.

The rally was not sanctioned by the school district, but the district wanted the students to have a safe place to go to exercise their civil rights, she said.

“I was really impressed with their message. It was one of unity and support. There was no profanity or fighting. It was very respectful,” Emmett said.

The Napa Police Department issued an online Nixle alert around 9:30 a.m. about heavy pedestrian traffic on Jefferson Street and Lincoln Avenue.

The march and rally ended around 10 a.m. and students returned to their schools, Emmett said.

There have been several student walkouts around the Bay Area this week following the election of Trump, including another one in San Francisco this morning with more than 1,000 students marching around the city.