Dozens of students rallied outside the offices of the San Francisco Unified School District Wednesday, both calling for a cease-fire in Gaza and accusing the school district of trying to silence student voices.
The issue stems from October, when hundreds of Bay Area high school students staged a walkout to call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas War.
Last week, SFUSD announced it would investigate whether an advocacy group, the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, had broken distinct policy by helping students organize the protest.
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The distinct said a parent group, called the SF Guardians, had filed a complaint against the center.
At the protest Wednesday, demonstrators said the investigation has led to students being singled out for their race or beliefs.
“It’s not just about AROC, as an organization, doing work in the schools,” Sabreen Imtair, who works with AROC, said. “This investigation has green-lighted the targeting of Arab youth. … Arab youth being stalked at their schools, questioned by their principals, questioned by their teachers about their involvement in AROC, about their involvement in Arab youth organizing.”
After NBC Bay Area reached out to the district, SFUSD shared a statement which said that it had a “right and responsibility” to ensure organizations uphold their agreements with the district. It encouraged students and families to report any concerns about unsafe conditions at schools.
It also said it respected students’ right to demonstrate.
