Students from San Fernando Valley schools participate in walkouts protesting ICE operations

Students from several schools in the San Fernando Valley participated in walkouts on Friday morning to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and ongoing federal operations across the country.

A social media post from a student-led account called for more than 40 schools to participate in the various walkouts. Aerial footage of Herbert Hoover High School and Van Nuys City Hall showed crowds of students marching in the street holding signs and flags.

Over the past few weeks, students from across Southern California have engaged in protests opposing the Trump administration's increased immigration crackdown. The protests also come following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis by federal agents.

"We're doing this to show that we are not okay with what ICE is doing to our communities," the social post said.

The social post encouraged students to protest peacefully and to refrain from damaging property.

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Unified School District said they support students' right to freedom of speech and to advocate for issues important to them, but "student walk outs are not school- sponsored events."

"However, students were informed that if they leave campus without permission, they will be marked as absent for missed periods," the spokesperson said. "Students that walk out can return at any point."

Immigrant rights groups have said that the increase in federal agents within communities has caused fear among residents and has affected local economies.