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A warning from the San Antonio Independent School District that armed participants could join a student walkout Tuesday did not come to pass.
No firearms were on display among a couple dozen pro-Palestinian protesters at Milam Park, or outside Fox Tech High School, where a handful of students walked out mid-morning.
Protest participants said more students would have joined the walkout if SAISD officials hadn’t sent a letter to Tech campus parents last week warning that the protest would be armed.
“The problem is the obvious intimidation of students. I mean, look at the police presence and the administration in the halls. It's clear that, from what we heard from students, they wanted to be involved. They wanted to come out,” said a protester at Fox Tech who wouldn’t give their name but said they were over 18.
“This is not that students don't believe in the cause,” the protester added. “We've had people from this school and others show interest, show support, and it's a pity that thus far we've seen nothing but the administration and the cops bad mouth students and the community and use fear to keep people down.”
The Fox Tech students who walked out were joined by a handful of supporters. Together they stood silently outside the school holding Palestinian flags for several minutes before walking to Milam Park.
After SAISD sent the letter, the group Fox Students League called on students at other schools to join the walkout and meet them at Milam Park. A group called Right to Rebel heeded the call, organizing a walkout at San Antonio College that brought about 20 participants to the park.
Nora with Right to Rebel also said she thought SAISD sent the letter to intimidate students and keep them from protesting.
“They did not provide any real evidence, because there was none, and ultimately, we understand it as a purely malicious chess move that the school did to lie about kids. There is nothing more shameful than adults getting together to lie about kids,” she said, adding that the district saying there would be guns was dangerous because it could have inspired counter protesters.
Nora only gave a first name and said she was a student but wouldn’t say what school she attended out of fear of being targeted for discipline.
In a statement, SAISD officials said they “are extremely grateful that (the) protest remained peaceful.”
“Our district continues to support civic engagement and responsible advocacy within a safe and structured environment,” the statement went on to say. “At SAISD, we are deeply committed to creating learning environments where students feel heard, valued, and supported in expressing their ideas and perspectives.”
The group of about 25 protesters stood in the gazebo at Milam Park for about an hour, chanting and giving speeches before dispersing.
Speakers drew a line between the working class and the war in Gaza, saying that authorities and people in power benefit from oppression.
They called for an end to the war in Gaza, and an end of U.S. support for the Israeli military.
Tuesday marked two years since Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 captive. At least 67,000 Palestinians have died since Israel began the war in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
