San Antonio ISD claims 'credible evidence' Oct. 7 student walkout will be armed protest

SAISD claims to have received information from authorities that student demonstration will be an “armed protest” Credit: San Antonio ISD | Facebook

In an unusual email, San Antonio ISD asked parents to discourage their children from participating in an Oct. 7 student walkout, citing “credible evidence” from local authorities that the event will be an armed protest.

The email, shared with the Current by a concerned parent, went out Thursday, Oct. 2, to SAISD families.

“We received information about students possibly planning to protest on Tuesday, Oct. 7, during the school day, and we have credible evidence from area law enforcement that it will be an armed protest,” the email read.

The email, signed by Superintendent Jaime Aquino along with other high-ranking officials, didn’t take a stance on the topic of the protest — nor was the topic stated in the communication.

However, the Express-News reports the demonstration is a pro-Palestine protest, held on the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israeli civilians.

The Express-News reports that student social media posts show the walkout is to call for an end to the Israeli occupation of Gaza and an end to the United States’ military support of Israel.

The walkout also comes days after Israeli forces captured approximately 500 activists from around the world as they attempted to deliver humanitarian aid via ships to Gaza, which is experiencing widespread famine under Israel’s blockade.

“While we are not taking a position on the topic of the protest, we must take a position on student and staff participation based on the information we have received,” SAISD’s email said. “The potential of this protest having armed participants is extremely concerning. We have requested the Southwest Texas Fusion Center, an inter-agency law enforcement center, to monitor this closely.”

The email also stated that while SAISD does not know the identity of the protest’s organizers, authorities told the district that those behind the action “have impersonated a school organization.”

The official communication also mentions that staff won’t be present to protect students due to the potential presence of firearms.

“Speak with your child to determine if they plan to participate, and if so, we urge you to discourage participation based on safety concerns,” the message said. “While we know our students and families understand our commitment to peaceful protests, we cannot control the actions of external participants. Because of the mention of firearms, staff will not escort students; only law enforcement will be present.”

The Current reached out to several officials at SAISD about the email but received no response by press time.

Parents expressed doubt about the true reason for the official communication from the district.

“The plan from the school — if the kids don’t get scared off — is to put officers outside of the school to tell them they shouldn’t [participate],” one SAISD parent, who requested anonymity, told the Current. “It seems 100% disingenuous, but I wouldn’t expect anything less than that from school leadership.”

In social media posts, other parents expressed skepticism about the claims of an armed protest. Some even suggested the threat was fabricated to quash dissent.

“[SAISD] sent out a completely disingenuous email last night alluding to the threat of ‘armed protesters’ for what amounts to a peaceful march to the steps of city hall,” parent Mark Garcia posted on Facebook. “When pressed on the issue they could offer no evidence to support this claim outside of ‘we saw an Instagram post.’”

Garcia continued: “What an absolute disgrace. If we do not encourage our children to be actively engaged in upholding these fundamental American civil liberties we truly are headed for a bleak future. You don’t have to agree with their cause, but goddamnit do you want to live in a society so dumbed down and disposed that it has neither the capacity to think about nor the inclination to fight for one of the bedrock principles of our nation?”

While SAISD officials were unavailable for comment, the San Antonio Police Department provided the following statement when reached by the Current:

“The San Antonio Police Department is aware of a planned protest scheduled for October 7th. We remain committed to protecting the constitutional rights of individuals and groups to conduct peaceful and lawful demonstrations. SAPD will have a police presence for the safety of those peacefully protesting.”

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San Antonio ISD claims ‘credible evidence’ Oct. 7 student walkout will be armed protest

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