Students from high schools in the Los Angeles area march after walking out of class Monday, March 27, 2006, as immigrant supporters continued nearly a week of street protests against proposed immigration reforms. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
Posted on 03/27/2006 12:47:23 PM PST by Nachum
At least 14,000 mostly Hispanic students stormed out of school classes across Los Angeles in a snowballing protest against Washington's plans for a draconian crackdown on illegal immigration.
Local news reports said that "tens of thousands of students" were taking part in the protest that was spreading through schools across the country's second largest city ahead of a US Senate debate on a divisive immigration reform bill.
"At least 14,000 students are protesting in the streets in Los Angeles city alone," Monica Carazo, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Unified School District told AFP.
The latest protest came after one of the biggest protests in recent US history Saturday when more than 500,000 people marched in Los Angeles against the immigration reform bill that would make it a felony criminal offence to be in the United States illegally.
Smaller protests took place in a number of cities around the country as well over the weekend and on Monday against the draft laws.
Los Angeles pupils pursued the protest Monday by walking out of class in at least 21 schools across the city and its surrounding areas, prompting education officials to lock down some campuses to keep the angry students inside.
But they leaped fences and marched through streets brandishing US and Mexican flags and chanting slogans against the immigration bill.
"If we don't leave school today, half of the school who don't have papers will have to leave soon if this law passes, and they won't come back, ever," shouted Huntington Park High School student Anita Benitez.
The Los Angeles Police Department put officers on a "city-wide tactical alert" as a precaution because of the wave of protests that included a crowd of at least 1,500 students who were demonstrating outside city hall.
The protests target a bill, already passed by the US House of Representatives, that would crack down on employers hiring illegal workers and people smuggling illegal immigrants into the country.
The bill would also require employers to verify social security numbers with the Department of Homeland Security, beef up penalties for immigrant smuggling and stiffen penalties for undocumented immigrants who reenter the United States after having been removed.
At least 11 million illegal immigrants, most of them from neighbouring Mexico, live in the United States and are responsible for keeping the human machinery of US cities humming.
No bias, there!
God, this is the biggest bunch of bull durham I've seen in years.
Their chance to advance in life comes from school - not from the streets.
The country is lost if this bill fails.
Tsk. Promises, promises.
Send a bill to their parents for the cost of a lost school day.
walkout opposed by their teachers who wanted to focus on coursework, of course.
Two points:
1. I hope they missed an exam and flunk.
2. They haven't seen draconian. Draconian would be surrounding all 14,000 of them and frog marching them straight down to Mexico. Those who can prove citizenship will be allowed back in.
Now that's draconian.
Bet they were back in time for their free lunch, though. There are some real porkers in those rally photos.
Bull. 14,000 students are partying in the streets of Los Angeles now that they have a cover story....
The illegal Hispanic students have already destroyed LA schools.
W has done it again.
The rats will not be able to contain themselves and will soon be marching with the illegals.
"At least 11 million illegal immigrants, most of them from neighbouring Mexico, live in the United States and are responsible for keeping the human machinery of US cities humming."
Sacre bleu! AFP buying the Bush talking points?
Good thinkin' DU Kids. Be sure to wave mexican flags, and hold up signs that say "Legalization Ahora" or "Respect Azaltan". Just the thing to get "Fly Over Country" on your side.
Tens of thousands of over-emotional, illogical, mis directed teenagers will do more for an illegal crackdown than all the Church Going, America Loving Conservatives could ever dream of.
Owl_Eagle
(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
I'm sure their teachers did nothing to encourage them. /s
And have the legal immigrant students improved the schools?
With any luck.
But your leaving school won't stop it.
"The sound of silence on behalf of the Democrats is deafening."
Any time they open their mouths about a domestic policy they lose a faction of their corporate benefactors.
Better just to run against Bush's personality, Iraq, and the Democratic Party brand name.
You say that like it's a BAD thing.
The only bad part is the "half" comment.
Gee I still don't see any American flags. Speaking of which where are all the protests from the Canadian illegal aliens?
Let them keep walking we shouldn't be paying for their education.
They march, they wave Mexican flags. What more needs to be said, send them home.
Keep on walking. South. Keep the ocean on your right. Tijuana is only 100 miles away.
I think they should march right on down to Tijuana - That'll teach us !
Personally, seeing that group yesterday marching around waving the flag of Mexico did little to infuence me to their cause. I would have been more sympathetic had they waved the American flag. That would have been a more interesting point. I'm for real reform. They did not help their cause yesterday and neither are these kids walking out today.
nope...but legals should have access. IMHO
In this case the Left and the media will make it so. Anything to distract from the War to Free Iraq or the War on Terrorism.
"The country is lost if this bill fails."
Yep.
That girl in the pink tank-top with the nice chest and Mexican flag can stay. Deport the rest of them.
Seriously, these people are seriously hurting their own cause with their defiant "we're proud Mexicans now give us our rights as citizens" routine. Keep it up, amigos.
This behavior is only going to hurt their "cause". The "fence sitters" on this issue will decide to send them all back home. Right now the CBS and CNN polls are about 70% in favor of no amnesty and sending them back home. Even the liberals don't want amnesty. Any politician who favors amnesty will pay for it in November if they are up for re-election. IMO
They should round them all up and check to see if they are illegal aliens. If they are they should ship them back to Mexico forthwith. Don't even wait to feed them just take them to the border and let them out.
"I'm sure their teachers did nothing to encourage them. /s"
What a quandry - the school dosen't get money if the kids don't show up for class -
"This is rapidly turning into a civil war."
Poor Bush. He focused on Iraq and is going to get blind sided in his own backyard. If he doesn't take action to end it now and make corrections he's going to be sacrificed politically, IMO.
The old ANC slogan, "No education till after the revolution" seems to be taking hold, but I guess an establishment conservative will tell us its better than the other ANC slogan, "One bullet one Boer" being taken to heart by these "students."
You're absolutely right. My wife was disgusted by the photos from yesterday. The kids today don't move me one way or another - kids marching out of class always reminds me of the excuses I looked for as a high school student to ditch.
Draconian laws against illegal immigration? Sure, I didn't do my homework last night anyway!
Exactly.
At least these kids are very patriotic
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Mexicans.
Someone made a pithy comment, wish I could credit but can't recall name:
"Next time a liberal asks you if you're questioning his/her patriotism, consider responding with:
"If I saw a shred of patriotism in you, yes, I would question it.'"
That's a whole big whopping 5%.
Well for today I think they just see it as a chance to go home early and get some errands done.
"They haven't seen draconian. Draconian would be surrounding all 14,000 of them and frog marching them straight down to Mexico. "
You'd be amazed at how many of that 14,000 are legal residents and citizens. I guarantee it.
"What a quandry - the school dosen't get money if the kids don't show up for class -"
Oh they'll make it work in their favor believe me... Next election they will be crying again that there is "no money for the children" and we need to raise taxes to make up for the drastic shortfall in funds. Win/win situation for them.
Isn't all this the best thing that could happen? Won't this startle a lot of folks who didn't realize how bad the illegal situation really is?
Good. Now we know who the illegal students are.
First bus back to Mexico for you, babe.
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