Students, parents protest sex trafficking, call for safer streets in South Los Angeles
Hundreds of high schoolers, as well as their teachers and parents, took to South Figueroa Street on Friday to protest for safer streets in South Los Angeles.
They claim that the street is known for all the wrong reasons, and that's why they took charge, hoping to raise awareness of the glaring issues near their place of education — Locke High School.
The group could be heard chanting, "What do we want? Safer streets!" as they marched from 80th Street to Manchester Avenue.
"I used to walk to school every day and I see all these naked women," said Monserrat Martinez, a LHS student. "I have family members who have been sexually abused, so I feel like it really touches home."
She's one of many students that took action Friday, hoping that their voices can get city officials to make a change.
"I don't wanna seen none of my friends in this area get shot or killed because of it," said Martin Neal.
The area of South Los Angeles surrounding the school is overseen by the 77th Community Police Station of the Los Angeles Police Department, which gets more calls for service than any other station in the city. Among their biggest concerns is sexual solicitation.
"You cannot walk up and down Figueroa," said Elizabeth Coello, another student. "It's very dangerous."
The demonstration was orchestrated by student government at the school, including one teacher who provided them with an example of students at another school.
In 2019, KIPP Academy of Opportunity staged a similar protest, calling for more safety surrounding their school on South Figueroa as well. They were successful in getting a local motel, popular for solicitation, torn down.
"If they're able to impact the community on that type of level, to shut down things like motels and liquor stores and things that might be proliferating the business itself, then that gives me hope," said LHS English teacher Sarah Bakker. "Inspires me to do what I've done today."
