Walkout for peace: Hellgate students march out of class
By ROB CHANEY of the Missoulian
Hellgate High School students kept the “peace” in their peace rally Thursday morning, protesting the Iraq war without attracting much conflict themselves.
The roughly 40 students who left class just before lunchtime were about half the number who marched last year, but senior Dixie Riddle still considered the effort worthwhile.
“We have a lot of really outspoken students at Hellgate,” Riddle said. “Our fliers just went out today. We didn't want to make it too disruptive.”
Hellgate Principal Jane Bennett said she respected the students' willingness to state their opinions, as long as they were prepared for the possible results.
Followed by fellow Hellgate High School students, Bogie Burke: takes a sign from Mission Accomplished Walk Out organizers Abbi McNamara, left, and Dixie Riddle, right, before gathering with others for the second annual war protest. Photo by LINDA THOMPSON/Missoulian
“Teachers who believe their classroom has been disrupted by the protest will report student names to the central office,” Bennett said. “You do what you need to do and handle the consequences of your actions. We're neutral on the politics.”
Bennett added it appeared the students intended to tone down the nature of their action this year, after dozens of them received one- or two-period detentions following last year's protest march.
The Hellgate student code of conduct states that a student who disrupts class may receive a warning, in-school suspension or out-of-school suspension for a day on first offense. Teachers are also supposed to mark a student absent for the period if they miss more than 10 minutes of class.
Senior Abbi McNamara said the protest was modified this year to reduce the class impact. The pink flier that advertised the plan asked students to “please refrain from disrupting the peace while walking (i.e. do not block traffic, harass police officers, etc.).”
“We don't want to attack the school,” McNamara said. “We decided to leave a few minutes before the end of class so they could stand up and make a statement. The next period is lunch. So we're sacrificing our own free time.”
The march was scheduled to mark the day President George Bush gave his “Mission Accomplished” speech on the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in 2003.
About 20 students left class before the bell rang, with an equal number heading for Anderson Park at the start of lunch period. After a few minutes of passing out signs and chanting peace slogans, the group of about 40 headed north along Higgins Avenue.
“Come join the peace amoeba,” sophomore Joey Boid yelled to a few other students as the march moved across Brooks Street. He was not at Hellgate last year to take part in the first march, but said he had a lot of friends who did. Freshman Kailin Rine didn't skip class, but joined the march as soon as the lunch period started. She spent much of the first few blocks holding the front edge of a long “Mission Accomplished?” banner.
“I believe in supporting the troops,” Rine said. “But I don't think this war is justified.”
Missoula police monitored the march with several patrol cars and motorcycles as the students headed up Higgins. But the students avoided confrontations, stopping for traffic lights and letting passers-by through the pack.
Respect earned consideration. Just two blocks short of school, the tail end of the student group nearly crossed Fourth Street on a red light. An officer on a motorcycle flashed his lights and moved into the intersection. The students stepped back to the sidewalk.
The officer stopped in the middle of the street and told the students to hurry across and rejoin the group. The students scooted.
Back in the Hellgate courtyard, the last of the marchers handed their signs back to Riddle. They'd all returned about one minute before the end of lunch period.
“That felt good,” Riddle said. “Spread peace and love and go back to school.”
