Parents Vow to Expand Protest Against Planned Oakland Elementary School Closures

By: Brian Shields - Mon, 18 Jun 2012 20:29:26 -0800
OAKLAND (KRON) -- Parents organizing a protest against the planned closure of five public elementary schools say they will not pack up their tents and leave.

Oakland police posted fliers Monday ordering the several dozen demonstrators to leave school property.  Instead the parents, teachers, and students say they're prepared to escalate the demonstration.

"We welcome everybody." parent-organizer Joel Velasquez told people attending a Monday afternoon rally.  "When we fill up here, we're taking over another school.  We're taking over another school.  You know what?  Closing five elementary schools is not acceptable.  Our demand for Tony Smith, the Superintendent, re-open five schools or resign."

KRON 4's J.R. Stone reports Oakland police officers toured the campus of Lakeview Elementary Monday afternoon where they turned off a ringing alarm and checked to make sure everything is safe inside the school.

Protestors have set up a summer school for children.  They say the door to the school was open so they went inside to conduct a summer school class.  Officials say the move into the building constitutes an act of trespassing.

"Our buildings are compromised and that's not something we can let continue indefinitely," Oakland Schools spokesman Troy Flint tells KRON 4's Maureen Kelly.  "So I think we have to see if we can come to some negotiated resolution.  If not, then we will have to take action, sooner than later."

It's unclear when police may be called in to remove tents from the school grounds and evict those protestors.

Stay tuned to KRON 4 and KRON4.com for the latest on this developing story.

(Copyright 2012, KRON 4, All rights reserved.)
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