Schoolkids walkout and march in Ithaca NY

LACS walkout
Crossing the street

Students from the Lehman Alternative Community School walked out in solidarity with Wisconsin and democracy.

Submitted by Ian Schlom on March 30, 2011

Students from the Lehman Alternative Community School walked out at 2p.m. in solidarity with Wisconsinites and democracy, and in unison with students in Portland. During lunch the protesting students made signs for which to carry while marching. At 2p.m., teachers gathered to see off the high school students, and after hearing a speech by the principal Joe Greenberg, telling them that those who signed out to protest would be getting community service credit, the students left.

They marched down State st. to the Commons to gather, in which two students spoke on why they were there. They decided to march the entire commons chanting their chants: "We love our teachers, and their union too!", spelling UNION, "Ithaca Fights for Union Rights", "Ithaca Fights for Teachers' Rights". After, they chanted at the Ithaca Journal, trying to get media exposure. Then, went to New Roots charter school to get anyone who would come out, marching then down to Ithaca High School (IHS), chanting all the way (although the back of the long line was less intense in chanting). When they got to IHS, chanting on campus while the school was in session made officials come out telling the protesters to come back after school was over, at 3:32.

The protesters retreated to the bridge. Three IHS students joined them on the bridge. In total, according to a count by a member of the protesters, there were roughly 95 students there. At 3:32, the protesters came to the bus lot, and chanted on their lawn, in accordance with ICSD officials. As it was disbanding, students with signs met with IHS students and asked them if they would like to know why they were protesting.

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