Thread: More Student Walkouts in San Diego

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...28protest.html

Student protests over immigration proposals continue for second day


UNION-TRIBUNE BREAKING NEWS TEAM

10:23 a.m. March 28, 2006

SAN DIEGO – Hundreds of students marched off campuses or didn't show up for school throughout the county in a second day of protests over proposed immigration reforms.
From today's Union-Tribune

Many students ditch classes to take part in marches countywide


An estimated 800 students walked off from three middle schools and five high schools, said San Diego Unified School District spokesman Steven Baratte. The schools were Memorial Academy, Correia Middle School and Bell Junior High School, and Kearny High, Clairemont High, Morse High, Madison High and San Diego High, Baratte said.

Several hundred students marched toward Chicano Park, where many congregated on Monday to voice opposition to the sweeping immigration bill that passed the House in December and cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday. It is now before the whole Senate and is expected to be approved.

In Escondido, where several students were arrested Monday during a protest, school officials locked down campuses to keep students in school and off the streets.


Mike Caston, Escondido Union School District superintendent, said all five of the middle schools were also locked down to prevent students from leaving or to keep high school students from going onto school grounds.

Many of the students, however, were absent for school, he said. They may be participating in protests, but school officials were not sure.

Caston said school officials are prepared for an entire week of protests, but hope the students return to class before the end of the week.

Baratte agreed.

“We are concerned as a district about the distraction this has caused,” Baratte said. “Obviously, we understand students' feelings toward this and (that they) want to protest, but walking out during school is a concern, not only for the instruction but for their safety.”

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006...3280684404.txt

In the second day of student protests over tougher immigration laws being considered in Congress, several students in Oceanside were taken into custody after walking off campus.

Oceanside High students stage brief protest, some detained

By: PAUL SISSON - North County Times

OCEANSIDE --- Police pounced quickly on 16 Oceanside High School Students who marched off campus at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday in protest of a proposed federal crackdown on illegal immigration with legislation currently being considered by the U.S. Senate.

More than a dozen Oceanside police officers handcuffed about half of the protesters, eventually arresting two and convincing the remainder to return to school.

As she walked back to school, a Mexican flag in her hand, an unidentified student said it was a violation of her rights to be forced back to school when so many high school students from other schools in the area protested Monday.


"It sucks," she said. "It's not right. If other schools can do it, we can do it."

Several Oceanside police officers at the scene said one boy was arrested because he had been reported as a runaway while a second girl was taken into custody for refusing to return to school.

"We are just helping out the school with a truancy problem," said one officer.

The exact charges leveled by police in both arrests were not immediately available.

Students began their protest march just as the school day was about to begin.

A group of about 50 Oceanside High students gathered in a courtyard inside the school's gates, surrounded by school security employees. As the 7:30 a.m. starting bell approached, teachers and security personnel ordered students to their classes. Most obeyed, but a few decided to leave campus when the starting bell rang.

A group of 16 students broke away, running out the school's front gate and crossing Mission Avenue at a crosswalk in front of the school.

Once outside school grounds, several students produced Mexican flags and marched south along Mission.

On girl, who did no provide her name, wondered aloud, "OK what do we do now," before a second suggested walking north on Horne street to collect sign-making supplies from a classmate's nearby home. However, as students cut through the parking lot of the Mission Square shopping center at Mission and Horne, they found their way blocked by two police squad cars.

The students turned around and headed for a discount store in the shopping center.

Eventually, a total of eleven police cars and school personnel arrived and handcuffed a half dozen students who police said disobeyed a direct order to stay put.

The small protest came one day after about 1,250 students from other schools around North County protested a proposed immigration crackdown. On Monday, there were at least 26 arrests of teenagers and young adults, most of them in Escondido.

Monday's protests brought teens to the street in Escondido, San Marcos, Vista, Carlsbad, Ramona and Fallbrook.

Contact staff writer Paul Sisson at (760) 901-4087 or psisson@nctimes.com


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Here are few pictures of the friendly protesters in San Diego. Looks like they would make great American citizens.