On Friday, hundreds of New York City students walked out of school and staged a pro-Palestinian walkout protest at the Department of Education headquarters.
A group from schools across the city showed up at the Department of Education headquarters in Tweed Court in Lower Manhattan around 2:30 p.m. According to footage from independent reporter Katie Smith:.
Public school students were seen waving placards calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and describing Israel’s response to the October 7 terror attacks as “genocide.”
The group included about 60 students from Susan E. Wagner High School on Staten Island. Staten Island Live reported:.
The strike was organized by Teachers United and several other groups, including the New York City Association of Palestinian Educators, the Palestinian Youth Movement, Al-AWDA New York, the MORE General Educators Movement and Desi Rise and Movement. According to a protest toolkit seen by The Washington Post:.
Teachers Unite: “Thousands of Students Now Dropping Out of New York City High Schools” Posted to Instagram just after noon.
The aim of the strike is to protect anti-Israel students and teachers “from unjust administrative retaliation and suspension,” Teachers Unite wrote.
The group also called on the city to reallocate police budgets and implement lessons on Palestinian history in schools.
Ahead of Friday’s strike, organizers distributed protest toolkits to participating students and teachers.
The information sheets gave students tips on how to stage a walkout at their school and advised teachers about their civil rights.
The flyer further states that strike groups plan to meet at the Department of Education headquarters in Tweed Court at 3pm for a rally and march.
Education Minister and Treasurer David Banks on Thursday condemned the planned protests.
“I’m a big believer in student voice and kids standing up for what they believe in, and I don’t think we need to continue the strike to do that,” Banks said at a news conference.
