Thread: From Bad to Worse - Schools and County approve walkouts

P.S. this newspaper is also a co-conspiritor, note their appearl for the "kids" to send in their photos

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/122463

Published: 03.30.2006

More than 1,000 students take part in second day of demonstrations
ARIZONA DAILY STAR

Authorities are now estimating that up to 1,150 students walked out of their Tucson classrooms today, the second day in a row that groups have done so to protest a national effort to crack down on illegal immigration.

The protesters gathered mainly at the federal building Downtown, but they’d dwindled to a few dozen by around 3 p.m. School buses took some students back to their campuses. At one point, police estimated, the Downtown rally had drawn up to 600 students who chanted and waved U.S. and Mexican flags. Some spoke at a microphone the county had provided them to express their views.

Police monitored the crowd throughout the day, passing out water so students would stay hydrated. They said the rallies were peaceful and no arrests were made.

More than 60 officers were called in today to help keep the students safe — and make sure people who called with non-priority problems were served, too. On Wednesday, those calls were put on hold while officers responded to the protests. Even detectives were in uniform Thursday, putting some investigations on hold for a day. Police said they kept traffic moving to prevent students from taking over the streets.

“Our objective was is to make sure they were safe,” said Chief Richard Miranda. The students should be able to protest safely, he said. The walk-outs began before 9 a.m., when about 250 students from Catalina High Magnet School left campus. Some 225 students also left Palo Verde High Magnet School. Smaller groups also apparently walked out at Flowing Wells High School, Santa Rita High School, Rincon High School and Pueblo High School. Reports also put students from Amphitheater High School and even Marana schools at the Downtown rally. About 75 students from Valencia Middle School also walked out briefly and reports of short protests came in from Hohokam Middle School and Apollo Middle School as well. Other schools are planning forums and speeches to give students an outlet, too. Events were taking place mid-afternoon at Rincon and Apollo, authorities said.

On Wednesday, nearly 800 students from Cholla, Santa Rita, Pueblo and Sunnyside high schools walked out of classes throughout the day. Thousands of other young people also have walked out in other U.S. cities the past few days to protest legislation on Capitol Hill that would crack down on the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants. Among other things, the legislation would make it a crime to be in this country illegally.

Alicia Pallanes, 15, a sophomore at Catalina, who was part of today’s Downtown group, said students want to show government leaders that the proposed legislation is wrong. She said everybody should have the opportunity to better their lives. Palo Verde students expressed similar views as they walked across the city to join in the rally Downtown. They stopped midway for a brief rally at Reid Park around 11 a.m.

“Since they’re working over here, they shouldn’t have to go back. Just like everyone else, they’re trying to eat,” said Victor Yates, 17, a senior from Palo Verde.

Like some others, Eric Croy, a junior at Catalina, said at first he only joined in the rally to get out of class. But after listening to student speakers, he decided the issue was important. “It doesn’t just affect Mexicans, it affects everybody,” he said.

In Phoenix on Tuesday, hundreds of students left school and rallied outside the Arizona Capitol. Police estimated that about 1,000 students held up traffic along several streets there as they made their way to the Capitol. There also were walk-outs in suburban schools. A Monday walkout in Los Angeles County involved an estimated 36,000 students.

Tucson’s Wednesday walk-outs were relatively peaceful, although two students were cited for obstructing a public roadway. Some students also reportedly threw rocks at a vehicle outside the U.S. Border Patrol headquarters. Students at Pueblo also pulled a fire alarm and scaled a fence to leave campus. But the Sunnyside demonstration was allowed by administrators, similar to the effort at Rincon today.

Students and witnesses, send us your protest photos. We accept them at any size and resolution, in JPG, TIF and GIF format.
What They're Saying:
* “I wanted them to realize what’s going on in the world,” said Diana Enriquez, a sophomore from Catalina High Magnet School who helped organize the march Downtown. “We want equal rights for everybody.”
* “Because it’s our families, we know they’re not criminals,” said Nancy Mercado, a sophomore from Catalina. “We should support them.”
* Eric Croy, a junior at Catalina, said at first he wanted to get out of class, but after listening to student speakers, he decided the issue was important.
“It doesn’t just affect Mexicans, it affects everybody,” he said.
* “We came out because they want to punish immigrants,” said Lizeth Grijalva, a sophomore at Catalina. “They just want to work.”
* Palo Verde principal Richard Gastellum walked behind the marchers to make sure everyone remained safe. He said the school didn’t authorize the march but allowed students to leave to ensure it be a safe protest.
“This is a safety walk for me,” said Gastellum, as he walked behind the students. “I hope they are doing it for the right reasons. Hopefully, this will be a venue to create some dialogue between teachers and students so we all learn from this.”
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. We accept them at any size and resolution, in JPG, TIF and GIF format.
WStudents and witnesses, send us your protest photoshat They're Saying:
* “I wanted them to realize what’s going on in the world,” said Diana Enriquez, a sophomore from Catalina High Magnet School who helped organize the march Downtown. “We want equal rights for everybody.”
* “Because it’s our families, we know they’re not criminals,” said Nancy Mercado, a sophomore from Catalina. “We should support them.”
* Eric Croy, a junior at Catalina, said at first he wanted to get out of class, but after listening to student speakers, he decided the issue was important.
“It doesn’t just affect Mexicans, it affects everybody,” he said.
* “We came out because they want to punish immigrants,” said Lizeth Grijalva, a sophomore at Catalina. “They just want to work.”
* Palo Verde principal Richard Gastellum walked behind the marchers to make sure everyone remained safe. He said the school didn’t authorize the march but allowed students to leave to ensure it be a safe protest.
“This is a safety walk for me,” said Gastellum, as he walked behind the students. “I hope they are doing it for the right reasons. Hopefully, this will be a venue to create some dialogue between teachers and students so we all learn from this.”
See Friday’s Arizona Daily Star for even more coverage.

O.M.G.

Call the paramedics, I think I'm going to have a corinary....

Waht's wrong with this picture?

Buses to take them back to campus?

Police officers handing out bottled water at tax payer exspense to make sure the students STAYED HYDRATED?

Officers taking a day away from other duties and investigations to make sure the students were SAFE while protesting?

This is truly deplorable.

Pinto Bean, who remembers Kent State

Was the water paid by tax payers?

What's the deal there, that cops are in cohoots with them?

Everyone is in cohoots with them. I saw a clip on the news of one of our NOTORIOUS county Supervisors addressing the crowd on his county provided microphone!

P.S. This is the Supervisor that took over when the INFAMOUS Raul Grijalva gave up his seat to run for U.S. Congress.

“This is a safety walk for me,” said Gastellum, as he walked behind the students. “I hope they are doing it for the right reasons. Hopefully, this will be a venue to create some dialogue between teachers and students so we all learn from this.”

The whole premise of school used to be that they would learn from you!

Just reading the comments from these "students" should be enough evidence to show they don't know much about anything, except their "feelings".

I'll bet they've got real good self-esteem, though.