Posted on 03/28/2006 10:10:51 AM PST by BurbankKarl
Edited on 03/28/2006 10:15:04 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Police herded students off an access road leading to the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro on Tuesday as demonstrations continued against possible immigration reforms. Student marches were also staged Tuesday morning in Bellflower and Compton.
Despite rain and a lockdown in the Los Angeles Unified School District, a group of about 200 students massed near 223rd Street in the Harbor Gateway area in San Pedro and started walking south on Avalon Boulevard shortly after 8 a.m. A separate group of students in San Pedro tried to get onto the Vincent Thomas Bridge, but police stopped them and turned them around, detaining a few.
In the San Fernando Valley, students reportedly walked out of Birmingham High School.
Los Angeles Unified campuses are locked down Tuesday, but the immigration bill that sparked two days of protests will be a topic of classroom discussion, officials said.
More than 36,000 students from 26 school districts throughout Los Angeles County skipped classes on Monday and marched through streets and on freeways to protest the immigration bill being debated by the U.S. Senate.
About 1,000 students rallied for much of the day at Los Angeles City Hall, with several representatives meeting privately with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The mayor later spoke to the students, saying their voices were being heard, but urging them to return to class.
Los Angeles police Chief William Bratton said Monday's rainy forecast would also likely prevent any more mass walkouts by students.
LAUSD officials said middle and high school classes throughout the district would have classroom discussions on Tuesday about a bill introduced by Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., which would crack down on employers hiring illegal workers and people smuggling illegal immigrants into the country.
"We will have in-class teachings for students so that they can have conversations to deal with this issue in a very productive way," said Rowena Lagrosa, executive officer of educational services for the district. "We are being proactive so that those students will show up for school tomorrow."
The class discussions will also address freedom of speech, civil protests and events in U.S. history that have involved public protests, according to a district statement.
In addition to the lockdown, police presence will be beefed up on LAUSD campuses, district officials said.
Students who took part in the mass demonstration on Monday and last Friday could face discipline ranging from suspension to exclusion from cebtain school-sponsored functions, Lagrosa said.
The LAPD was placed on citywide tactical alert during Monday's protest, which led to five arrests during a demonstration at Van Nuys City Hall, LAPD Lt. Paul Vernon said.
Some students also snarled traffic when they marched on the Harbor (110) and Hollywood (101) freeways in downtown Los Angeles. Other students were reported marching on freeways in San Pedro and Orange County.
"We may be illegal immigrants, but we are human," Metropolitan High School senior Melania Preciado said at City Hall as she waved a Mexican flag. "We deserve the same rights as everyone else, not be treated like criminals."
The Sensenbrenner bill, HR 4437, would require employers to verify Social Security numbers with the Department of Homeland Security, increase penalities for immigrant smuggling and stiffen penalities for undocumented immigrants who reenter the United States after having been removed.
Under the bill, approved last December by the House of Representatives, local law enforcement agencies would be reimbursed for detaining illegal immigrants. Refugees with aggravated felony convictions would also be barred from receiving green cards.
The U.S. Senate's Judiciary Committee softened the immigration reform bill on Monday by voting to create a path for some of the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants to become citizens without first leaving the country.
Under the version voted on by the committee, additional foreign workers would be allowed to enter the United States temporarily under a program that also could lead to citizenship.
Additionally, the committee adopted an amendment by Sen Richard Durbin, D- Ill., that would protect charitable organizations and churches from criminal charges for providing aid to illegal immigrants.
The bill will now move to the Senate floor, where an intensive debate likely to find Republicans fighting each other is expected to begin this week.
Good idea. Are they actually fining them?
Yeah, I saw that, sorry!
All these protesters - I've decided to have "A day without a Mexican" for each and every one of the protesters.
I'm committed to mowing my own lawn and reaching behind the counter for my own Big Mac.
Who do I contact for my tax refund?
PS - I bet the scholl district was wishing it was an achievement test day - score averages would have gone up.
According to KFI640
LAPD
100 citations for truancy at Harbor Division
LASD
1 arrest on assault officer
1 arrest assault deadly weapon
1 arrest for lynching
OCSD
5 arrests for trespassing
We are talking LA unified school district here.
High school students who walked out of class march to Riverside City Hall during the protest of H.R. 4437 Tuesday.
No one to hand out United States flag in Riverside, eh?
Marches or demonstrations have also begun at Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino, Chino Hills and Chino.
About 200 San Jacinto High School students left campus in protest this morning, San Jacinto Police Sgt. Russell Wilson said.
Hundreds of students at five schools in Lake Elsinore, Menifee and Murrieta left class Tuesday to protest legislation that would make felons of the nation's 11 million illegal immigrants.
At Paloma Valley High School, more than 150 teens left campus, waving flags and shouting support for illegal immigrants.
About 100 students walked out of classes at Norte Vista High School in Riverside this morning, a spokeswoman from the Alvord Unified School District said.
Ok - I'm against them.
Works for me.
Looks like *Viva La Raza* rally!
All kidding aside I lived with Mexicans all my life and had no problem. I left Los Angeles years ago and know it is pretty bad now with illegals....
Illegal immigrantion....the issue that will transform America forever.....
Oh WHERE are the bullies when you need them? These kids need a serious a**-whupping.
Gosh, someone translate 'a**-whupping' into spanish. That would be cool.
Count me on the 'against' side.
Lousy illegals.
Is that for real? Disgusting.
How many of those students were just looking for an excuse to ditch class?
Now those pictures are TOO much! Why aren't they on the MSM? (/sarcasm). Placing the Mexican flag on the flagpole, but putting the U.S. flag upside down - that NEEDS to be shown everywhere to make the rest of the U.S. mad as hell. This is just ridiculous.
BTW, the average SAT scores at that school was 906 in 2003. Obviously, our tax dollars are being wasted - even when the punks attend classes.
Those images make me very angry as an loyal American. I become more angry when our President enables these types and is trying to turn a blind eye to their lawbreaking.
You've been to my house, have you? :)
are you familiar with site?
http://la.indymedia.org/
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.