Mar
30
Police in Huntington Park, Los Angeles are preparing for the high school walkouts planned today in honor of Cesar Chavez Day.
The walkouts are part of a campaign to make Cesar Chavez Day a recognized national holiday.
Huntington Park Police Chief Michael J. Trevis says, “The Huntington Park Police Department and surrounding police agencies are currently preparing for potential school walkouts and subsequent unlawful activity which may follow. The Huntington Park Police Department is working with local principals and the school district police in an effort to encourage students to stay in school and discourage any unlawful activity associated with walkouts.”
Police concern is based on events last March (06) when around 1,000 students walked out of Huntington Park High School in protest of a bill before Congress that would toughen immigration enforcement.
Trevis says, “Disturbances followed previous walkouts in 2006 which resulted in some acts of violence and students placing themselves in great danger by walking in traffic lanes.”
California Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell is calling any attempted walkouts “a misguided attempt to support immigrants to our country and honor Cesar Chavez’s legacy.”
O’ Connell says, “I strongly urge students not to participate in this form of protest and to attend school on Friday, which is a regular school day. Districts can face fiscal consequences from students not attending school. Our students cannot afford to miss school. Our schools cannot afford student absences. And our state cannot afford to rest for even one day until we close the achievement gap that threatens the futures of so many of our immigrant students.”