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Young activists have come together to start their own humanitarian and activist group. On June 20, over 30 people calling themselves Banderas Unidas gathered at Courthouse Square in Redwood City in protest of recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and the Trump administration.
The group was involved in organizing the Sequoia Union High School District walkout that brought out hundreds of students to downtown Redwood City in February. On Friday, protesters marched, stopping to hold up signs and wave flags at the intersection on Jefferson Avenue and El Camino Real.
Inez, one of the organizers, is a 17-year-old student from Woodside High School. She calls Banderas Unidas a “ragtag team of students” that aims to plan peaceful protests in the community.
During Trump’s first administration, beginning in 2017, Inez was too young to organize a protest. “Now that I’m older, I can actually make my voice be heard. I have arms. I have legs. I can go outside and protest,” she said.
The small group was joined by a few outsiders who saw the flier for the protest on social media. All involved showed up on their own, ready to join the march.
Youth activists with Banderas Unidas hold up signs as they march through downtown Redwood City on June 20. Photo by Jennifer Yoshikoshi. 
Protesters with Banderas Unidas hold up signs as they march through downtown Redwood City on June 20. Photo by Jennifer Yoshikoshi. 
Student protesters wave American flags as they hold up signs at Jefferson Avenue and El Camino Real in Redwood City on June 20. Photo by Jennifer Yoshikoshi.
Redwood City resident Holly Christensen said she has been participating in a protest every week. She’s gone to the Hands Off! Protest in Boston and the No Kings protests in the Peninsula. Christensen is driven to fight for diversity, equity and inclusion, transgender rights, immigration and democracy.
She was looking to fulfill her duty to protest for the week and saw on Action Together West’s website that Banderas Unidas would be in Redwood City.
“We need young people to get more and more involved. They’re the next generation,” said Christensen. “I’m an older generation and I won’t be here forever, but they have many more years ahead of them.”
Banderas Unidas also is working on providing resources to those in need while standing up for justice. The group has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money that can be used to serve the community and continue to protest at events to help others.
Visit gofund.me/ca517114 for more information on the fundraiser and @bbanderasunidass on Instagram for updates.
