Cheese Board Collective, Nabolom Bakery and the climbing gym Berkeley Ironworks were among the businesses closed in solidarity with the “no work, no school, no shopping” protest.
by Nico Savidge, Vanessa Arredondo and Felicia Mello Jan. 30, 2026
Berkeley residents joined a nationwide strike against the Trump Administration’s immigration policies on Friday, as several local businesses closed their doors and hundreds of people took part in protests across the city and region.
The “no work, no school, no shopping” demonstration backed by student organizers at the University of Minnesota had drawn support from immigrant rights groups, unions and celebrities across the country. A list of demands on the website NationalShutdown.org includes calls to defund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and justice for four people who have been fatally shot by federal agents in recent months.
Berkeley’s Cheese Board Collective wrote on its website that it was closed Friday “in solidarity with Minneapolis and all immigrants and their supporters.”
The West Berkeley cafe CoRo Coffee Room was also shuttered. A container of free coffee and several paper cups were left outside the shop Friday morning, with a request that people instead donate to the San Francisco legal services organization La Raza Centro Legal.
Other closures included Nabolom Bakery, Tessier Winery, Broc Cellars winery, Bageltopia, Metro Lighting and Touchstone Climbing, which operates the Berkeley Ironworks rock climbing gym.
“Like many Americans, we are very concerned by the unlawful and abusive actions of federal immigration enforcement right now in our country,” a post from Bageltopia read. “Human dignity and constitutional rights are at risk and our leaders need to hear how we feel about it.”
Some merchants expressed support for the protest but opted to remain open — Amoeba Music, Rose Pizzeria and the bookstore Mrs. Dalloway’s were among several businesses that said they planned to make donations to immigrant rights organizations.
“To be honest it’s hard to close on a Friday because it’s the one day that carries the rest of the week on its back,” the South Berkeley restaurant Rose’s On Adeline wrote in a post. “But just know we are a safe space no matter what.”
Teachers, students rally outside schools
About two dozen Cragmont Elementary School teachers, staff and community members gathered at Marin Avenue and Spruce Street after school let out Friday to protest ICE and stand in solidarity with people in Minneapolis. Parents and children joined the demonstration with drums and tambourines, as students chanted “No ICE, no kings!” from behind a playground fence.
Theirs was one of several protests held at schools around Berkeley Friday afternoon.
Cragmont science teacher Jill Montgomery coordinated the effort, which began a couple days ago through texts and on a Facebook group with members of the school community.
“A lot of our schools are vulnerable, with vulnerable populations, so we’re just making sure that the whole community knows that all of us stand behind them,” Montgomery said.
Fourth-grade Cragmont teacher Susan Killebrew said educators felt compelled to show their support because so many of their students come from first‑ and second‑generation immigrant families.
“Immigrants are brave people who add so much to our communities, and we can’t let certain politicians start to use [immigrant] as if it’s a bad word,” Killebrew said. “As an old lady school teacher, I think it’s important to show this isn’t a fringe issue; we all feel this way.”
Hundreds protest at UC Berkeley
College, high school and middle school students gathered on the UC Berkeley campus at noon Friday, carrying signs including “Abolish ICE” and “Land of the Free.” The crowd of about 500 people marched to the Downtown Berkeley BART station, where most hopped onto trains to join up with a larger protest at Mission Dolores Park in San Francisco. Another rally was held in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood Friday.
“Minneapolis called, and we answered!” an organizer from Students for Socialism yelled to the crowd.
“People are literally being executed in the streets right now, and I feel so weighed down by that,” said Julia, a UC Berkeley student who asked to be identified by her first name only. “Anything I can do to channel positive energy and come together as a community, I want to do.”
At least a dozen Willard Middle School students said they had walked out of class to attend the protests.
“We just don’t stand for anything that ICE stands for,” said Tillie, an eighth-grader. “I feel like we couldn’t just sit in class and let that happen while everyone else was protesting.”
In a message to families Thursday, Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel wrote that schools would be open as usual Friday. While the district “recognizes the power of collective action and supports every person’s right to peaceful protest,” Ford Morthel wrote, teachers would take attendance as usual.
At the BART station, protesters lined the sidewalk, chanting: “No ICE, no KKK, no fascist USA!” A car horn beeped in time to the beat.
Councilmember Cecilia Lunaparra said she had closed her office, which represents the Southside neighborhood near campus, in solidarity with the protests.
“I think it’s beautiful to see so much intergenerational solidarity,” Lunaparra said at the Berkeley protest. “There are so many young people and children here along with lifelong veterans of progressive causes, and that’s very heartwarming to be able to see.”
Staff writer Tracey Taylor contributed reporting.
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Nico Savidge is Berkeleyside’s associate editor, and has covered city hall since 2021. He has reported on transportation, law enforcement, politics, education and college sports for the San Jose Mercury… More by Nico Savidge
Vanessa Arredondo covers education and general-assignment stories for Berkeleyside as a 2024-2026 California Local News Fellow. A Chicana journalist born to a family of hard-working Mexican immigrants,… More by Vanessa Arredondo
Felicia Mello covers UC Berkeley and other East Bay colleges as Berkeleyside’s senior reporter for higher education. She works in partnership with Open Campus, a nonprofit newsroom focused on strengthening… More by Felicia Mello
