Flag-Waving Tea Party Activists Protest Outside South Bay School
MORGAN HILL (KPIX 5) - About two dozen Tea Party activists showed up early carrying flags Monday morning to protest a recent federal court ruling in support of a school ban on wearing the American flag.
Members of the Gilroy-Morgan Hill Patriots spaced themselves out evenly on both sides of the street in front of Live Oak High School around 7:30 a.m. The protest was planned in opposition to the Ninth Circuit Court's ruling that said school officials acted appropriately in 2010 when they sent students home for wearing the flag on the Cinco de Mayo holiday over fears of escalating racial tensions.
Students showed up Monday to find the rout into school draped with flags, but the demonstrations were peaceful.
"It's not us against them. We all have first amendment rights," said Georgine Scott-Codiga of the Morgan Hill Patriots.
A planned counter-protest at the same location Monday was scrapped after students said they didn't want added distraction outside the school. They say the racial tensions are a thing of the past.
Students and administrators even posted a sign saying "we are both branches of the same tree" on a temporary fence outside the school.
Flag-Waving Tea Party Activists Protest Outside South Bay School
About 10 to 15 police officers were on scene at the school. They were directing traffic in the area. There have been no specific threats of violence.
The district superintendent was also keeping an eye on the scene.
"I think the teachable moment is for the adults to listen to the kids about wanting to respect and accept one another. Accept each other's ideals and understand that other people can have opinions and people can disagree with one another and still get along," said Superintendent Steve Betando.
