------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the March 6, 2003 issue of Workers World newspaper -------------------------
BAY AREA: HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WALK OUT AGAINST THE WAR By Tahnee Stair San Francisco On Feb. 21, the anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X, 300 students walked out of Berkeley High School. The action was in response to a call by ANSWER--Act Now to Stop War and End Racism--for acts of non- compliance to protest the war in the spirit of Malcolm X. In San Francisco over 100 students from Mercy High walked out to picket a military recruitment office at a nearby mall. Nine activists, one a youth, chained themselves to a military recruiting office. Student and Youth ANSWER organized the walkouts. At Berkeley High the administration locked the gates and threatened students with expulsion if they walked out. When students nevertheless marched around the school encouraging others not to be intimidated, dozens more joined in. They carried signs with pictures of Malcolm X that said "Stand Against War and Racism" and gave the web site: www.internationalanswer.org. Sade Bonilla of Berkeley High had also organized a two-day teach-in against the war as part of the ANSWER coalition's call for a week of resistance. The newly formed Berkeley High ANSWER club is now organizing for emergency walkouts if the war starts. "Nothing school administrations do can stop us from expressing our strong feelings against the war. Walking out is one of the few political actions we can take to show we're against it. We have a responsibility to young people here who Bush wants to send to fight, and the people he wants to kill in Iraq, to do whatever we can to stop the war," said Natividad Carrera, an organizer with Student and Youth ANSWER. Across the Bay in San Francisco, over 100 young women walked out of Mercy High School, which is Catholic. They gathered to picket a military recruiting office at a mall near San Francisco State University. "Mostly high-school students joined the pickets at the military recruiters' offices today," said San Francisco State University student LeiLani Dowell, another organizer with Student and Youth ANSWER. "They're leading the way for the student anti-war movement. "Students just out of high school are the ones being sent to fight in Iraq--disproportionately youth of color. Many join the military because they cannot find a job. For the sake of U.S. GIs and Iraqis, we have to stop this racist war. The next major demonstration is on March 15 and young people will be there in force." At a downtown military recruiting office in San Francisco, other activists gathered to protest a new war. One locked himself to the door. Eight others chained themselves to him, blocking the entrance to the building. All were arrested; the eight adults were held in jail for two days. Student and Youth ANSWER in San Francisco meets every Wednesday at 5 p.m. at 2489 Mission St., Room 24. n - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe wwnews- [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe [EMAIL PROTECTED] Support the voice of resistance http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php) ------------------ This message is sent to you by Workers World News Service. To subscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Send administrative queries to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
