(Credit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/stand-with-quakertown-students-legal-defense?fbclid=IwY2xjawQIDsNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETJ4QVJOVXRBSDI0SlhQemlac3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvofW6A_DJLJOCIxNg7ntbkNSMoLyTphe-lHdNVTRyQn8jK0YhDzo-EkS0_i_aem_pkZSoxnHA6kEgAirB3gH_w)
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support Quakertown high school students who were arrested or injured during Friday’s confrontation between police and teen protesters in downtown Quakertown.
As of 11:30 a.m. Sunday, the “Support QCHS Students Legal and Recovery Fund” had raised $8,087 toward an $18,000 goal from 175 donations. The fundraiser was started about 19 hours earlier, according to the campaign page.
The effort comes as the Bucks County District Attorney's Office has announced an independent investigation into the police response during the protest involving students from Quakertown Community High School.
What the fund will cover
Organizers say the fundraiser is intended to help families manage:
“Teenagers. Students. Members of our community,” the campaign description reads. “These are high school students — not hardened criminals. They are now facing legal proceedings and the emotional and financial weight that comes with it.”
Video from the scene, widely circulated online and reviewed by media outlets, shows officers physically restraining students during the Friday protest, which began as an anti-ICE walkout.
In some clips, a young female student is brought to the ground. Other footage shows a plainclothes officer, identified by multiple reports as Quakertown Police Chief Scott McElree, entering the crowd and engaging physically with teens.
Police have stated that officers called for backup after some protesters entered the roadway, damaged vehicles and assaulted officers. Advocates and family members, however, have described the police response as excessive and have called for charges to be dropped.
Several students reportedly required medical evaluation following the altercation. A number of students are still detained at the Bucks County Youth Center, awaiting hearings on Monday or possibly Tuesday, due to the storm.
Due process and community response
The GoFundMe page frames the effort around due process and proportionality, emphasizing that minors navigating the justice system require legal representation and support regardless of political views about the protest itself.
“Regardless of political perspective, minors deserve access to fair legal representation and support when navigating the justice system,” organizers wrote. “When young people engage in civic expression, the response should never leave families struggling to afford legal protection.”
The campaign states that funds will be managed by families and coordinating organizations to ensure transparency and direct allocation toward legal and recovery needs.
The Quakertown Community High School students arrested following Friday’s protest remain in county youth detention and are expected to stay there until at least Monday, when a juvenile detention hearing can be held, according to PhillyBurbs.
Because they are minors, they were not immediately arraigned as adults would be. Instead, their cases must be reviewed by a Common Pleas Court judge in Juvenile Court at the Bucks County Justice Center.
Juvenile proceedings are confidential, meaning names and specific charges are generally not publicly available unless a youth age 14 or older is charged with a serious or violent offense, per the report.
As of Saturday, authorities had not released the exact number of students arrested, the charges filed or whether any counts rise to the level of felonies. One parent said her child was facing misdemeanor charges, though that has not been confirmed by police or prosecutors, according to the article.
Detention hearings are typically held within a day of arrest, but because the arrests occurred Friday, the earliest court review would be when court reopens Monday. State law does not permit a juvenile to be held longer than 72 hours without a hearing, though weather-related court closures could affect scheduling, according to the report.
Broader fallout continues
The fundraiser is one of several community responses in the wake of Friday’s incident. A Change.org petition calling for the resignation of Chief McElree — who also serves as borough manager and public records officer — gathered hundreds of signatures within hours of being launched.
Parents and civil rights advocates held a press conference Saturday demanding the release of arrested students and the public release of body camera footage and incident reports.
Meanwhile, borough council and school district meetings in the coming days are expected to draw significant public attention as residents seek answers about the handling of the protest and its aftermath.
