FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEW YORK CITY HIGH SCHOOLS TO WALK OUT IN PROTEST OF IRAQ WAR
New York Youth Bloc, a coalition of New York City high school students, along with the Not in Our Name Student/Youth Coalition, has called for a city-wide high school walkout on March 5th, 2003, in conjunction with the National Student Strike being organized by the National Youth and Student Peace Coalition. The National Strike has been given the theme "Books not Bombs," as an expression of outrage over the Bush administration's plans to send the nation into an unprovoked, illegitimate war that will make Americans less safe around the world, endanger our civil liberties, cause the death of thousands of Iraqi children, and undo fifty years of international law, all while neglecting schools and social services at home. "It will be a great day when schools have all the money they need, and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber."
Walking out of school is the form of protest that has been deemed the strongest and most effective by the high school student organizers. In times of peace and normalcy, education is the cornerstone of students' daily experience. But when the blood of innocents is being spilled at the expense of quality education and civil rights, the priorities of students are altered. Walking out of school shows that the future of this city and this nation will do whatever is necessary to stop this war. Students are also walking out in response to the President's announcement that he will ignore the largest protest in world history on February 15th and move forward with his plans for Iraq. Organizers hope that a walkout can do what a peaceful weekend protest can not: reach the President and his administration. If anything, organizers hope that a walkout will inspire New Yorkers and Americans to strike in their own respective occupations.
A peaceful convergence of high school students has been called for 12:00 at Union Square Park in Manhattan. A speak-out will proceed with a few notable guest speakers, followed by an open speak-out for all students in attendance. Both youth and adult poets against the war are expected to perform. It is also anticipated that several students will engage in an impromptu "die-in," in which students will lie down and pretend to be dead - a statement of protest against the lethal effects of the Bush administration's policies on civilian populations around the world.
At 1:45, students will take a "peace train" to an unannounced location, where they will then march to Hunter College to meet up with college students who have organized a large-scale event there.
Students from LaGuardia High School, Beacon High School, Hunter College High School, The Lab School, Stuyvesant High School, Bronx High School of Science, Brooklyn Technical School, The High School of Art and Design, and possibly dozens of other schools around the city, are expected to walk out in force and meet up at Union Square.
Over 300 high school and college campuses around the country are expected to participate in Wednesday's strike in solidarity with the voices of protest from around the world.
Press Contacts: Ted Fertik, Stuyvesant High School.
(347) 451-8561
ted at stuyssac.org Dashiell Mitchell-Brody, Stuyvesant High School
(917) 743-6769
urbncowboi at aol.com Michael Gould Wartofsky, Hunter College High School
(917) 513-0076
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