With the internet, there’s no telling what response one will get to anything posted, as reactions are as fickle as the wind. A California senator, Scott Wiener, took a group of elementary school kids on an anti-ICE protest, and netizens did not find it motivating or inspiring.
In a TikTok video, the senator could be seen walking with a group of fourth graders, carrying anti-ICE signs. “It’s like a field trip with signs,” one of the kids said. “I’m with Finnely at the Grattan Elementary school protest,” he said as he interviewed the young boy who supposedly organized the protest.
The video showed a clip of Finnely addressing the protesters, saying he believed it was “horrific” the way people were handled. “I wish Trump would stop doing this to people,” the kid stated. Finnely explained that the idea had come from watching high school students in Minneapolis walk out of school, but since they couldn’t do the same, they used their after-school program. The senator addressed the kids at the end of the clip, commending them for their actions. “This gives me hope for the future,” he said.
The backlash did not delay coming in as soon as the video hit the internet.“That’s really messed up, using kids for political gain like that,” a netizen wrote. “Unbelievable! Encouraging elementary kids to protest a federal agency crosses every line. Public officials should be educating, not radicalizing,” another chimed in. “Dragging elementary school kids into partisan protests is irresponsible,” a second one added.
“Elementary officials should be careful about involving young kids in political protests,” a netizen said. “Politics of this level are not meant for younger school-age children for a reason,” another wrote.
Some users called out every adult who participated in the California protest or even permitted their wards or students to join it. “Save the children! Shame on people for stealing their short childhoods from them and getting them involved in the adult chaos world,” one wrote. “Indoctrination at its finest. And teachers who motivate and approve of this ridiculousness. And parents who agree or are passive,” another noted.
“How is this even legal? “Whereas, as part of a school’s afterschool activities, the adults can use the children as political pawns?” one user lamented. “Woke teacher grinding overtime to turn innocent kids into brain-dead NPCs. They’re not educating, they are programming the next generation of compliant zombies,” another stated bluntly.
Another California resident pointed out, “When we were in elementary school, we were taught to respect police and firemen.”
