By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews
Approximately 100 students and community members gathered in McKinney on Sunday for a student-led “No Hate” rally organized by the McKinney Area High School Democrats, walking about two miles from McKinney High School to Glenn Mitchell Park.
The march remained peaceful, with no reported incidents. McKinney police were present as participants walked along sidewalks carrying handmade signs and chanting, “Love, not hate — that’s what makes America great.”
Before the walk began, James Houston, president of the McKinney Area High School Democrats, addressed the crowd and described the event as broader than any single policy debate.
“This isn’t just about ICE. This isn’t just about the Trump administration,” Houston said. “This is about making sure our democracy works for all of us.”
Organizers reminded participants to remain peaceful and stay on sidewalks. The rally marks the second student-led demonstration in Collin County this month.
March Route and Community Support
Participants walked from McKinney High School to Glenn Mitchell Park, where the program continued with remarks from elected officials, candidates, and student leaders.
Along the route, local neighbors set up a stand offering water and snacks, providing participants a place to pause briefly during the approximately two-mile walk.
McKinney police were visible during the march, and organizers repeatedly emphasized de-escalation and peaceful conduct.
Program at Glenn Mitchell Park
After arriving at Glenn Mitchell Park, Collin County Democratic Party Chair Jeremy Sutka opened the program and encouraged participation in the Democratic primary, noting that early voting is underway ahead of the March 3 election.
Congressional candidate Evan Hunt, who is running for Texas’ 3rd Congressional District, followed Sutka and called for peaceful civic engagement.
“America is a place where you can say what you want to say, love who you want to love, worship how you want to worship, and be who you want to be,” Hunt said.
He told attendees that even those not yet eligible to vote still play a role in shaping civic life.
“It doesn’t matter if you can’t vote,” Hunt said. “Your voice is what changes rooms.”
Texas House District 61 candidate Jackie B. spoke next, referencing recent campaign outreach during early voting.
“I was outnumbered,” she said of working the polls. “But I would talk to anybody… They were willing to listen.”
Brittany Black, who is also running for Texas House District 61, attended and later issued a statement supporting the student organizers.
“I was proud to join McKinney High School students for the No Hate walk today,” Black said.
Angie Caraway, a candidate for Texas House District 89, participated in the beginning of the march but departed before the program at Glenn Mitchell Park because of a previously scheduled commitment.
Student Voices and Organizing
Marley Ramirez, president of the Hispanic Student Union, thanked attendees for supporting a student-led effort.
“We just wanted to thank everybody for coming out,” Ramirez said. “This really does mean a lot to us.”
Anthony Rios, vice president of the Hispanic Student Union, followed Ramirez and described the rally as personally meaningful.
“As a first-generation student, sometimes I feel like I don’t even have a voice,” Rios said. “Seeing all the people who still come together… it’s really inspiring.”
In a post-event interview, Houston said the rally was entirely student-led.
“No teachers were involved in planning,” Houston said, noting that students consulted school staff about policies but organized the event themselves.
He said outreach presented challenges, as some student groups declined participation due to family political differences.
“My family comes from Europe and Haiti,” Houston said. “I may not experience discrimination the same way others do, but many people aren’t as lucky.”
Houston described the rally as an effort to live up to national ideals.
“Ideals are never fully achieved,” he said. “But the job of an American is to strive toward them.”
Statewide Context
The rally comes amid ongoing statewide debates over immigration enforcement and student demonstrations.
Gov. Greg Abbott has previously criticized certain student-led protests related to immigration policy, arguing that demonstrations should not disrupt school operations or public order. The Texas Education Agency has similarly stated that districts are responsible for maintaining instructional time and enforcing attendance policies when walkouts occur during school hours.
Organizers in McKinney said Sunday’s event was held outside instructional time and was planned to remain peaceful and orderly.
The demonstration concluded without incident.
Truancy is BAD for all of society, and should never be tolerated. Citizens pay taxes for STUDENT EDUCATION, not VIRTUE-SIGNALLING.
God knows l don’t hate anybody but l have a strong opinion that their parading around will actually have more bad consequences than good.
Consider the safety factor too!! Has everybody heard of the special needs child that was allowed to wander off from such an event, and was found HOURS later, miles from their school?? I hate to think what could have resulted!
Responding to Patricia B.: This rally took place outside of school hours. There was NO truancy — just well-behaved young men and women exercising their constitutional rights as citizens. Yes, students are citizens. Their rights to free speech, peaceful assembly, and petitioning the government are explicitly protected.
Dragging in hypothetical scenarios with no evidence, or citing incidents that did not occur at this event, is classic FEAR-MONGERING. It attempts to smear these civic-minded young people and undermine their lawful participation in the democratic process.
You don’t have to agree with their message. That’s the beauty of a free country. But you don’t get to distort the facts to DELEGITIMIZE them.
They gathered peacefully. They followed the law. They exercised their rights.
And if someone finds the message “Love, Not Hate Makes America Great” threatening, that says more about them than it does about the students.