Lakeview Elementary School encampment protesters given warning notice
on June 18, 2012
Protesters at an encampment that has been growing for the last four days at Lakeview Elementary School, just off Grande Avenue, have been served with notices from the Oakland Unified School District to leave the school immediately and not return for 30 days. The notices were distributed Monday morning by Oakland Police Department officers who posted them over the outside gate of the school, the outer grounds and the school building.
The notice reads: “Safety, healthy and supportive schools require good order and peaceful conduct. Willful interference with the good order of a school is a misdemeanor. You are interfering with the good order and peaceful conduct of this school. You are directed to leave this school immediately and you may not return for 30 days. WARNING: if you return during the period you have been directed to stay away or if you violate this Notice, you are guilty of a crime under California Penal Code Sections 626.8, and you will be arrested.”
Parents, teachers and community activists have relied on the help of Occupy Oakland protesters to build their tent city and supply food for the crowd of approximately 30 people who have been camping there since the protest began on Friday, June 15. The encampment is an effort to keep open five elementary schools—Lakeview, Lazear, Marshall, Maxwell and Sante Fe—that OUSD board members voted to close at the end of this school year. By Sunday, there were approximately nine tents set up by protesters on the school’s grounds. The group held a rally on Saturday that drew over 100 people. Read more about the weekend’s events here.
Teachers are holding garden activities with kids at Lakeview Elementary despite being served a notice to leave the grounds. Photo courtesy of the protest group.
So far the Lakeview protesters have not heeded the warning notice. According to an Alima Catellacci, an afterschool teacher at Lazear Elementary, teachers have opened the school’s doors and are holding classes inside the building with a curriculum that focuses on social justice issues. There are plans for children’s activities throughout the day that includes arts, sports and gardening.
As 12:15 p.m. no police enforcement was present on the campus, according to Catellacci. The protesters plans on having another rally in front of the school Monday at 4 p.m.
You can see Oakland North’s complete coverage of Occupy Oakland here.
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