Some Lyons Township High School students were detained by school officials after unmasking in an act of protest over two weeks ago. | Adobe Stock
Some Lyons Township High School students were detained by school officials after unmasking in an act of protest over two weeks ago. | Adobe Stock
Illinois students, parents and pubic officials are organizing a large anti-mask protest at Lyons Township High School.
An earlier group of protesters is coming back strong after its core of students were detained by school officials after unmasking in an act of protest over two weeks ago, West Cook News previously reported.
The anti-mask event will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 19 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on the southern campus of Lyons Township High School, located at 4900 Willow Springs Rd. in Western Springs. The chapter leading the call to action is “Turning Point USA.”
The protest is expected to draw a large turnout with local authorities such as Sen. Darren Bailey, Sen. Candidate Rob Cruz, Congressional Candidate Jack Lombardi, Freedom Initiative Now Chairman Nick Richmond and TPUSA ambassador Lexi Lach among the attendees.
Tickets to the event are free.
Bailey threw his support behind the anti-mask protesters early. He and other local officials and candidates have also offered support and suggested they will show up at future protests.
One of the event’s organizers is Leslie Mendoza, a 17-year-old senior. Sophomore Addisyn Schaefer, 15, was one of dozens of students who publicly unmasked and suggested others join in a Sept. 25 event that was broken up by school officials.
“I could not be more proud of this group of kids," Schaefer’s’ mother, Lindsay Dillon, said. "They're doing what most adults won't even stand up and do, fight for their rights and the rights of others.”
The first protest was preceded by a poster placed around campus that included the text of an email from Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, who wrote early on in the pandemic that he did not recommend wearing masks.
After the first protest, Schaefer was one of those who received a reprimand for organizing such a protest.
The success of the first protest gave her additional motivation to organize the second protest on Oct. 19. The addition of the public figures and an even larger part of the political field will inevitably progress the scale of the protest.
Organizers call on all those who are interested to register and to continue sharing the call to receive as much support as possible. The students and their supporters say they will continue to fight to remove masks in the learning environment.
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