Oceanside High erupts in protest as smaller rally begins in Vista
By: North County Times | ∞
Oceanside High School students try to force their way through the school's west gate onto Horne Street. They were repelled by Oceanside police in riot gear who fired paint ball guns at the ground to force the crowd to back away.
PAUL SISSON
Order a copy of this photo
Visit our Photo Gallery
A mob scene unfolded at Oceanside High School on Mission Avenue Wednesday morning when about 200 students tried to leave campus, only to be blocked by police officers toting pepper-spray pellet guns and wearing riot gear.
View a Video
View a Slide Show
The scene at the campus subsided as school let out this afternoon and protesting students headed for the Oceanside Bandshell at the beach. Three boys have been arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly throwing chunks of concrete at officers during the incident at the school.
Tensions arose at the school just before noon, when several hundred students tried to leave campus in protest of proposed immigration policies.
Officers shot pepper-spray-filled pellets at the ground as students shook a locked fence surrounding the school. The students were chanting, "One people united will never be divided."
After about an hour of tense standoffs, about 100 students were allowed to walk to the Oceanside Pier in protest while others were locked down in classrooms.
As school let out around 2 p.m., officials released students from the campus in small groups. Many appeared to be headed to the Bandshell at the beach.
Mission Avenue west of Interstate 5 and Center Street near the campus were blocked by police.
Another protest appeared to be brewing in Vista, where about 100 Latino students from Lincoln and Washington middle schools were congregating at 1:30 p.m. in a shopping center across from Vista High School to mark the third day of protests in the city.
The students ---- some carrying posters and Mexican flags ---- said that when Vista High released its students for the day around 2 p.m., they hoped to convince some of the teenagers to march with them to Vista City Hall.
Students in Vista organized similar --- though much larger --- marches Monday and Tuesday to protest proposed federal legislation that could toughen penalties for illegal immigrants.
Earlier, in Oceanside, a school official on a bullhorn told students they should step away from the school's gate if they did not want to be pepper-sprayed.
Students calling the newspaper from inside the gates said they were trying to leave in protest.
"Our point is that we want to show how we feel. If they're going to put our parents in jail because they are illegal, we are going to protest."
Officers considered locking down City Hall but as of 1:50 p.m. decided not to do so. The students will not be allowed in city hall, police Sgt. Leonard Mata said.
Mata said when students start leaving the campus this afternoon police will monitor them to be sure they're safe.
He said police requested help from the Sheriff's Department and the California Highway Patrol, and they had provided 20 deputies and officers.
Oceanside police had heard in advance that a large group of students might leave Oceanside High School at 11:45 a.m., so a command post was set up at 7 a.m. at the school, Mata said.
"We thought we were going to have an issue at the high school, so we prepared," he said.
A group of students from Jefferson Middle School has also joined the protesters, according to students calling from their cell phones.
"The police are escorting us all, and we're walking toward the pier," said 15-year-old Ivan Leal from his phone. "They're trying to keep us from getting away and they're trying to keep things from getting violent."
Elsewhere in North County, protests were more mild.
Escondido and Carlsbad authorities said there had been no protest activity so far today in the city.
More Stories
Advertisement
Steve wrote on Mar 30, 2006 4:07 AM:Spanish radio is putting together another protest for Friday,which will include another student walk-out. So we'll see how that plays out....
Jack wrote on Mar 30, 2006 6:21 AM:It makes me feel good when I see the police roughing up students because they need it as a reminder that this is America and rules are to be obeyed.
TomK wrote on Mar 30, 2006 7:02 AM:That was no mob scene. Get your fear mongering straight.
Anna/Mexican American wrote on Mar 30, 2006 7:20 AM:To the protesters... If you want to be heard please hold up the flag to the country that you want to be allowed to live in. Please be professional, CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY, make your parents proud if they happen to see you in the paper or the television. Remember our parents came here to give us opportunity for an education and for a brighter future. Stand up for what you believe in but do it with integrity. Choose your actions that would make your children proud someday. Remember your are the future!
Mike wrote on Mar 30, 2006 8:31 AM:These kids are criminals just like their parents. It is a shame that the quality of education has to continue to spiral downward becuase our local schools are infested with these thugs.
James wrote on Mar 30, 2006 8:48 AM:Seems to me with all the mexican flags on display that we should do these poor ignorant souls a favor and ship the off to mexico. Maybe then they will grow up and wise up!
Denise wrote on Mar 30, 2006 11:36 AM:I think that kids walking out isnt showing nothing even though im mexican and against the law too.they're showing nothing there just making the walk in los angeleslook like nothing was done to support
PC wrote on Mar 30, 2006 11:36 AM:It says in the article that the students tried to "migrate back to the front of the school to find a way to escape the police trying to keep them on campus" The thought of hundreds of kids running like a crazed rapid animal is scary. They are not thinking rationally. It is time to be educated! Stay in school. If you choose to ditch, don't cause problems for the students that want to stay in class and learn.You can speak out without using violence!
Robert wrote on Mar 30, 2006 1:38 PM:I would be in school today learning but the district decided to shutdown classes because the fear of violence. Yesterday I was breaking the law with Truancy. Today, I am legally absent from school. I love America!!
Sandra wrote on Mar 30, 2006 2:55 PM:Dear Mike I take offense at your comments. Stating that these kids are "criminals just like their parents" and calling them "thugs". My daughter participated in the Protest as she feels the way many feel about the Anti-American and UnConstitutional Sensebrenner/King bill. I am an American Citizen born and raised right here in beautiful sunny California. So please keep the name calling reserved for your dining room table where you fill the hearts and minds of your children with contempt, and hatred for these immigrants. As for me I will continue to teach my children how to embrace other cultures, nationalties, races, religions so they will always defend and speak up for what they believe in hopefully it will always be a belief in righteousness, and justice.
MAC wrote on Mar 30, 2006 2:58 PM:WONDERFUL that the "protesters" are staying out of classes. These soon to be uneducated urchins will be able to fill such glamorous positions as field hands,car wash employees, gardeners, motel maids,and can stand on street corners begging for day work, and maybe even wave a mexican flag , while the non-protesters finish their education and go on to greater glory. Are these bewildred offspring even aware of what they are protesting and why they are demonstrating or are their activities just another escape from reality. THE LAW IS THE LAW, obey it or pay the penalty, grow up and be responsible for your own actions.
awc wrote on Mar 30, 2006 5:33 PM:Actually I think they should continue to walk out........My son said it has been very quiet in the classroom with them gone..They've actually been able to get some work done.......some learning done, without interuptions! Wonderful......noone throwing pencils into the ceiling...no locker breakins.....No ridiculing the teachers.....No refusing to speak English...Its been great
JSM wrote on Mar 30, 2006 7:26 PM:With all the talk of "Mexican pride" and Mexican flag waving, one has to wonder ... if they have such pride in Mexico, why didn't they just stay there? Better yet, why don't they just go BACK? They would save us taxpayers the millions of dollars they cost us in health care, schooling, law enforcement, and the infinite number of "freebies" that we, law-abiding CITIZENS, have to pay on their illegal behalfs. Ironically, all their protests are accomplishing is to show this country how ungrateful and how contemptuous of the law they really are.
Retired VUSD employee wrote on Mar 30, 2006 7:33 PM:While driving in Vista on Tuesday I spotted a VUSD vehicle being driven by a district employee with an American flag taped to the back of the white van. What the heck? As if we don't have enough problems with student protestors! Now we have a district employee driving a district vehicle trying to entice the protestors? I can bet you that he didn't drive the van back into the yard with the flag still taped to it. The district should check into this and find our who this moron was and tell him if he wants to tape a flag to his vehicle make sure it's his OWN!
Retired VUSD employee wrote on Mar 30, 2006 7:45 PM:While driving in Vista on Tuesday I spotted a district van being driven by a district employee with an American flag taped to the back of the vehicle. What the heck? As if we don't have enough problems with the student protestors! Now we have a district employee trying to entice the students! If he wanted to drive a vehicle with an American flag he should've been driving his personal vehicle instead of the district's.
larry wrote on Mar 30, 2006 9:57 PM:i think that this hole thing is dumb. You can't come to america illegally and get away with it. Just because we're the land of the free doesn't mean you can go around brakeing the law.
Allen wrote on Mar 31, 2006 7:00 AM:What is the problem here is the fact that this is an everyday occurence and has been for years. Now, all of a sudden the kids don't want their parents deported. there is a right way and a wrong way. leaving school to protest is not right. Besides, more than 80% of the kids do it to ditch school. they don't care about the protest, just themselves as usual. maybe we need a little of the 50s and 60s discipline here.
Dennis wrote on Apr 6, 2006 6:43 PM:This whole situation unfolding before the USA's eyes is a disgrace. There must be something done within Congress about the injustices being done on our soil. But now with the media showing these outbreaks, it only fuels the concerns for Americans. I pray that our countries legislatures work diligently to enforce our laws to stop this madness. Our forefathers installed such laws within the Constitution. Bottom line...they are not being followed. Our country is in a crisis.
Jim wrote on Sep 6, 2007 11:59 PM:There's a lot of issues surrounding illegal aliens. When I lived in CA back in the 70's and 80's, I heard a lot of people complaining "The Mexicans are taking all the jobs". It seemed to me most of the jobs the Mexicans were doing at the time were working as field hands or as busboys in restaurants. The people who did most of the complaining were white males....my question to them at the time was "would you as a white male work those jobs for minimum wage?" and almost everyone of them replied "No" to which I told them not to complain about the Mexicans taking the jobs. With regards to rounding them up, a large number of them in their protesting will tell you "we are going to protest at (name the location around the country)" ...that should make it easy for immigration to round them up for deportation. I have a HUGE problem with Mexicans coming across the border and having their kids here and their kids being automatically American Citizens. I also have a huge problem with Citizenship, Driver's licenses and other tests being given in languages other than English. I firmly believe that people should keep their heritage alive......language, foods, etc, but when it comes to everyday life in America, they need to learn to read and speak English. There should be NO option of "Press 1 for English". All transactions need to be in English.....period, end of story. When I was in High School, we had kids in class who were from Viet Nam. They learned English and graduated at the top of the class.
First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. Attempts to misrepresent your identity or impersonate any person will not be approved. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.
Today's Stories
Advertisement