SignOnSanDiego
Marchers left Chicano Park before noon today to march toward the Downtown district, along Market Street.
Posted on 03/31/2006 1:08:34 PM PST by NormsRevenge
SAN DIEGO – Hundreds of protesters who had gathered in Chicano Park Friday morning began marching toward downtown around noon to demonstrate against proposed changes to federal immigration policies.
Police estimated the crowd at around 1,500 protesters, including students and others. The group began marching through city streets during the lunch hour.
About 1,100 students didn't show up for classes at San Diego city schools Friday, a school district spokesman said. Students around the county – and in other locations – have staged protests all week.
“We have been bracing for a big day,” said city schools spokesman Steven Baratte.
Campuses remained calm. Extra district personnel were dispatched to some high schools and middle schools on Friday to provide another layer of adult supervision, Baratte said.
“It is quiet on the campuses,” he said. “These people aren't technically walking out of school. They are leaving before the classes start.”
Schools reporting large number of absences included Morse, San Diego, Serra and Hoover high schools, Bell Junior High and Clark Middle School.
In South County, Sweetwater Union High School District schools were in session Friday and none were under lockdown. No disruptions were reported at any of the middle or high schools Friday morning, he said.
“We have a significant number of absences but that's about it,” said Anthony Millican, a district spokesman. “So far, it's been very quiet.”
It also has been quiet in Escondido, the site of a large protest Monday.
There were no protests or walkouts in the Escondido Unified School District Friday and haven't been any since Tuesday when a small number of students walked out, said Superintendent Edward Nelson.
He credits school administrators, teachers and the students themselves for the calm within the schools and said that the campuses have been having “open microphone forums” that have given students an opportunity to talk about the immigration issue.
“The teachers and administrators have been working hard all week and have really stepped up to the plate to give the kids an opportunity to discuss the issues,” Nelson said.
Elsewhere in North County, about 34,000 students couldn't go to school even if they wanted to Friday because classes have been cancelled.
Administrators decided to shut down schools in the Vista Unified School District and middle schools and high schools in Oceanside Unified School District because of threatened violence.
Marchers left Chicano Park before noon today to march toward the Downtown district, along Market Street.
Well, I feel better than, but did they forget their Mexican Flags?
"The teachers and administrators have been working hard all week and have really stepped up to the plate to give the kids an opportunity to discuss the issues," Nelson said.
How about the kids sitting in the classrooms and learning Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. They can protest on their own time.
Live Thread: More Walkouts on Friday (Day 6 of LAUSD walkouts)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1606988/posts?page=5
I guess this has brought gang members together with a common cause, at least. I know its of little consolation, but.. ;p-)
I wonder if anybody thought to check their protest permits. Yeah I know, that's just one more little thing they can ignore.
Lots of green-white-&-red.
If they are not in school and it's not an excusable absence, then they are truant. Truancy has a fine.
Good, I want them on National TV--- showing everyone what they think of our flag!
When you tear down the stars and stripes for a foreign flag you are flirting with an act of war...if you are a "citizen" you are declaring yourself a traitor.
I wonder if anybody thought to check their protest permits. Yeah I know, that's just one more little thing they can ignore.
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I guess if you are here illegally anyway you get to select those laws that you choose to obey.
I wonder if that reduced the numbers of people walking aimlessly in those areas. After all, many so-called protesters were simply ditching school. With no classes to ditch, why bother to join the illegal alien parade?
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