BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Dubbed the “National Shutdown Day,” protesters are calling for a boycott of businesses to protest right-wing policies and immigration enforcement in America. Hundreds of people — most of them high school students — gathered at the Kern County Liberty Bell for their voices to be heard.

Students were demanding President Donald Trump to leave the United States and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be abolished.

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“As much as I’m involved and active in school, nothing is ever too much in school for me to not stand up for human rights,” said Joseph Frank, the senior class president at Bakersfield High School.

The National Shutdown Day calls for supporters to not go to school, not go to work and not to shop at large companies.

Frank said he will gladly miss school for this cause.

“How many of y’all can vote? None of y’all can vote. The fact that none of us here can vote and make a change but the adults can and they’re not here is absolutely not okay,” said Frank.

The students were upset at the lack of adult support at the protest.

The messages were mostly aimed at ICE for its operations in large cities across the country and the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.

“They’re calling us aliens that means they are because they are abducting people’s families, tearing them apart and that’s not right,” said Serenity Lopez.

“My family who was born in Mexico came here for a better life. I believe everyone should be entitled to that,” said Darell Fercano.

“Some of my mom’s friends and my family members’ friends have gotten taken away and I know how hurt their families were,” said Jose Zambrano.

Many of the students had the county workers union protest signs because the union was protesting right next to them.

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Kern County Superior Court staff are calling for a better contract.

“We’re short-staffed and unfortunately, short staffing in the courts means short staffing for the public,” said SEIU member Katerina Van Allen.

As the union was setting up their signs, some students grabbed the signs and wrote their own slogans on them.

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