Press conference at LAUSD board meeting

The World Can’t Wait, an intern from Code Pink, Sara Escudero from Reseda H.S., a member of the United Teachers of L.A., the World Can’t Wait Legal Action Committee, and high school students from the L.A. area gathered for a press conference in front of the L.A. Unified School District to congratulate all the heroic students who participated in the November 2nd actions and to defeat the attacks against students for organizing to drive out the Bush regime.

Sara Escudero, Reseda H.S. student, "I think what the principals and officers are doing to the students is wrong . . . we are fighting against something that is not right. For example, if you don’t think that what the Bush Regime is doing is wrong, well let’s see. What do you think about him trying to take women’s rights away?

"What happened to me and Geovany in school is a big example for a lot of people. We won a victory in my school. We could do the same in a lot of things if we all get united and make Bush step down."

Aaron Laub from the WCW Legal Action Committee said, "Fifty percent of the students in the L.A. Unified School district drop out. But the ones that are here today and the ones who protested on November 2nd are not part of that 50%. They’re part of the 50% whose circumstances have not driven them out of school, whose alienation has not reached the level where they have no hope in remaining in school. These are the students who are hoping to participate in society.

"In protesting they are carrying out an honorable tradition in America, one of standing up against those injustices that cannot be remedied without protest. I did it when I was a high school student-as many of you can see that was many decades ago-and others are doing it today. The reason why many of us are doing this today is because any time there is protest there is repression. It comes in many forms and usually it requires that lawyers participate and help those who are practicing their rights to free speech. That’s what we’re doing and that’s what we’re hoping other lawyers will do. This is a call to all those in the legal community to contact the World Can’t Wait and state that you want to help those who have the courage to stand up for what they believe to be right."

Susan Basko, a lawyer said, "The United States Supreme Court has stated in a very famous case that students do not leave their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse door. Students have a right to have political opinions and to voice those political opinions. Students have a right to pass out flyers with a political theme and a right to voice their opinions and to participate in protests . . .

"Geovany was passing out flyers, he was arrested and pepper sprayed. He’s under house arrest. He cannot leave his home, unless to go to school, he has an ankle bracelet that monitors where he is. His phone is under phone surveillance-in other words his phone is being tapped. This type of repression is not acceptable to the people who are in the lawyers committee for the World Can’t Wait committee. We welcome anyone who is being repressed to get in touch with us, we are hoping that the school district will transfer Geovany back into his school and he can go to the school where he belongs in. He’s a good student and is well liked. We’re looking forward to them agreeing with this."

Tony Vargas, a World Can’t Wait organizer said, "In L.A. alone, on November 2nd, there were over 30 high school walkouts. In the wake of November 2nd students all over the Los Angeles area are being suspended, fined, and transferred out of their schools. This is a blatant attempt to crush a movement still in its infancy. School administrators-whatever their intentions may be-are carrying out the Bush agenda of forcing people to go along with more and more horrors.

"A student leader from Belmont H.S. has been singled out for organizing the November 2nd walkout there. For passing out leaflets in school he was arrested, pepper sprayed, suspended and now he’s been transferred out of school and is facing criminal charges. This is outrageous and cannot be allowed to stand.

"The authorities are out to punish the students. They are out to take the heart out of this movement. But we are not gonna let them do this. We are gonna make them back up and get the hell outta the way for messing with out young hearts. We are gonna bring even thousands and thousands more into the streets when Bush gives his state of the union speech in January and drown out his message with this message: BUSH STEP DOWN AND TAKE YOUR WHOLE PROGRAM WITH YOU."