Kansas City students walk out for May Day protests: ‘The future will be built on us’

Students from Plaza Academy in Kansas City, Missouri, joined a May Day walkout and rally to protest federal immigration enforcement and the proliferation of data centers. Supported by the Missouri Workers Center and Sunrise Movement KC, the students gathered at Westport Road and Broadway Boulevard. Sophomore Swoo Harter voiced concerns about federal immigration actions and the increasing number of AI data centers in the Kansas City area, fearing job displacement due to artificial intelligence. Brooke Bowlin, communications lead for Sunrise Movement KC, highlighted the intersection of environmental and labor concerns, noting the "pollution and environmental degradation" associated with data center development and AI's threat to workers. Other student participants, like freshman Maeryn LaCaze, also raised issues such as rising healthcare costs and low teacher pay in Missouri, linking them to broader calls for social and economic change. Organizers emphasized the importance of amplifying youth voices in shaping the country's future.