Vol. 72/No. 19      May 12, 2008

Over 60 police cars converged on the school February 29 to break up a peaceful protest organized by hundreds of students. The youth were outraged that the day before, the assistant principal, Javier Pérez, had manhandled a classmate. Pictures and videos taken by students on their cell phones recorded the police beating protesters and were aired on television and circulated on the Internet. Parents learning of the police attack joined in protests outside the school, which is located in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood.

Demonstrations continued through the evening and the following week. The Haitian Lawyers Association has handled all the cases free of charge.

“This is a victory, but we don’t know what’s going to happen to the others,” 11th grader Alain Vil told the Militant. The cases against five other students are still pending.

In another victory for the students, Javier Pérez has not returned to the school. The assistant principal was reassigned work elsewhere in the school district.
 
 
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Jail the cops who killed Sean Bell!
‘Free Mumia!’ demand Philadelphia marchers  
 
 
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