Students planning walkout

By Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — A group of students at Gallup High School are planning a walkout at 12:45 p.m. today to protest "unjust wars" in Iraq and Afghanistan.

One of the organizers of the walkout, who declined to give his name, said he had no idea how many students will be participating. He said his group has been planning this for about a month.

This will be a non-violent march, he said, adding that students plan to march down Rico Street (in front of the high school) carrying signs protesting the war and other issues.

This will be a "symbolic" march since school officials have no authority to carry out any of the demands listed by the group on a flyer that was given to The Independent on Sunday afternoon.

"We are doing this to protest against three years of an immoral, illegal, unjust war that is going on in Iraq and Afghanistan," the flyer said.

"We reject the rhetoric that if America pulls its soldiers out of Iraq, Iraq will become a civil war," the flyer continues. "It is our understanding that with our troops in Iraq right now, Iraq is on the brink of a civil war if not there already. We also want to make it known that we support our troops and especially the 70 percent who feel that we should get out of Iraq NOW!"

The demands listed by the student were:

• Immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
• The resignation of President George W. Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney.
• The closing of Guantanamo Bay.
• Minimum wage increases
• Repeal of the Taft-Hartley act.
• Universal healthcare
• Equal rights for migrant farm workers
• Affordable housing in Gallup.

The spokesman for the group said he didn't know what would happen to those students who take part in the walkout since leaving class before the end of the day is prohibited.

If security guards try to stop them, "we will go past the security guards and continue marching," he said. If restrained, he said, members will go limp.

If the gates to the high school campus are closed, he said the group will find a way around the gates.

Superintendent Karen White said Sunday evening, after talking to high school officials, no one there knew of plans for the walkout.

The district does not support the walkout and will not allow it to take place.

"While I'm impressed about students caring enough about global conditions to do this, the walkout serves no purpose, and the students would be better off attending classes," she said.

She said high school officials plan to meet with the students this morning and talk to them about more appropriate ways to show their opposition to the war and the other issues.

A more appropriate way to address these concerns may be writing letters to the appropriate people, such as the president, she said.

"I'm a product of the '60s; so I'm proud that students care about these things. I just think there are better ways to show this concern," White said.

One big question that won't be answered until this morning is whether there will be any school today at all because of the weather.

White said that there had been reports of severe weather coming in, and it's possible that school will be canceled for today.

As of late Sunday, no decision had been made. White said a decision on whether to call school off for that day or to possibly go on a two-hour delay would be made about 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. today.