Civil disobedience

Students from Windsor protest immigration
reforms
By PETE MORTENSEN, News Editor
About 200 Cali Calmécac and Windsor High School students walked
out of class at 10 a.m. Friday morning in protest of proposed
immigration reform laws currently under consideration in
Congress.
The students, both Latino and Anglo, carried Mexican and
American flags throughout Windsor, leading chants of &#8220Viva
La Rasa!” (&#8220Long live the cause!”) and encouraging passing
motorists to honk in support. Some students wore T-shirts with
political messages, including &#8220People aren’t illegal,”
while others rapped a message of disobedience.
The protest, which started at the two schools and continued
across the Windsor Town Green before concluding in front of
Wal-Mart at the corner of Hembree Lane and Shiloh Road, echoed
similar rallies that have been held across the country since the
House of Representatives passed  a measure to criminalize illegal
immigration, including a rally of more than 500,000 people in Los
Angeles. The Senate Judiciary Committee last week proposed a more
conciliatory measure that includes a guest-worker program with the
potential to legally immigrate at the end of six years.
Adriana Abrica, 15 of Windsor, helped organize the rally with
friends. She went to a larger rally on March 26 in Santa Rosa and
wanted to bring the message back home. Windsor students
participating in the rally said they came together to get a message
out. The group produced fliers and sent notices through the Web
site MySpace to get the word out.
Abrica said the rally showed that students, not just adults,
care about the current debate over immigration.
&#8220Students do more than just watch TV,” she said.
Seth Iraheta, a 16-year-old Windsor Oaks Academy student, said
the rallying students were making a statement.
&#8220We’re standing together to get a message out,” he
said.
All students in the group said they opposed the criminalization
of illegal immigration.
&#8220Hard-working families are not criminals,” said Kaylyn
Louden, a Windsor High student.
Windsor Unified School District Officials offered students rides
back to school in a pair of buses. About 75 students returned to
the high school, with another 40 going to Cali. Assistant
Superintendent Jeff Harding, who met the students at Wal-Mart, said
the school district learned of the rally after discovering some
fliers on March 30, the afternoon before the march. Officials
notified the police to prepare. Three police cruisers followed the
protest, directing Traffic, and school staff walked with the
students and followed them in cars.
&#8220We didn’t want to be in a position where we had to
force them to stay on campus,” Harding said. &#8220Our interest
is in maintaining safety as our number one priority. The police
supported us in that effort by controlling traffic at the
intersections, and the students were extremely cooperative in
staying on the sidewalk and trying to maintain safe behavior.”
Not all students who started in the parade made it to the end.
Some left Wal-Mart in cars with friends and family, while others
dropped away during the more than three mile walk in the rain.
Students who participated in the walk-out were given an unexcused
absence, Harding said, the consequences of which vary by prior
record. A student with no prior unexcused absences would receive a
simple phone call home, while a student reaching four unexcused
absences would lose a credit and need to attend summer school.
&#8220It’s a cumulative effect,” he said. Students received
no additional discipline at school beyond the absence.
Police were complimentary of the protesters’ demeanor.
&#8220It was very peaceful,” said Steve Brown, a Windsor
Police Department Sergeant. &#8220They actually thanked us for
helping them cross streets so they were not run over by cars. Š It
was peaceful and nobody caused any problems. There was no
vandalism, no fights.”
Brent Anderson, the father of a Cali student, walked along with
the students. He said the event had educational value despite its
walk-out from the classroom.
&#8220They’re learning about representative democracy,” he
said. &#8220They are in school.”
The expression of direct protest was used as an education
opportunity, Harding said.
&#8220We sent out a notice and encouraged teachers to use
this as a foundation for a civics lesson,” he said. &#8220We’re
interested in students examining all sides of complicated political
issues.”
Mayor Sam Salmon, who witnessed the arrival of the marchers at
the Town Green from the corner of McClelland Drive and Bell Road,
said he was touched by the protest, which coincided with Cesar
Chavez Day, which honors the United Farm Workers founder.
&#8220I really couldn’t think of a more appropriate
recognition of his work,” he said. &#8220I was impressed with
their fortitude, and they walked rather quickly and seemed to have
a purpose. I’d like to find out more about the issues with regard
to immigration, and that’s an area that I think affects young
people, especially Latino young people.”
Political protest of various kinds is not new to Windsor,
Harding said. Two weeks ago, a smaller group of students walked out
of class to protest closed campus, and three years ago, various
protests of the Iraq War were held. Friday, with more than an inch
of rain falling, he said the students were clearly committed.
&#8220They were drenched to the bone and quite cold,” he
said.
Friday’s action might well have been the first political rally
on the Town Green, Salmon said, though Windsor has seen several
rallies and marches since its incorporation in 1992. The effective,
peaceful march was also a reminder to pay attention to youth, he
said.
&#8220For all I can tell, the Town is pleased that it went
smoothly and it seemed that what was to be accomplished was
accomplished on all sides,” he said. &#8220The youth were able
to express themselves.”