Conway Students Protest Backpack Ban

[YeahItsMeJP]

TheWMURChannel.com

Conway Students Protest Backpack Ban

School Bans Backpacks For Security Reasons

POSTED: 5:04 pm EDT May 10, 2005
CONWAY, N.H. -- Dozens of students walked out of school in Conway on Tuesday to protest a school policy that banned backpacks.

Parents, Students Say Policy Goes Too Far   

The protest was the latest disruption at Kennett High School, which has been plagued by threats of violence in the last month.
School officials banned backpacks in April as a safety measure following a series of bomb threats that disrupted classes at three Conway schools. Students said that they've had enough going to school without their backpacks.
"We're sick of having to carry about 15 pounds of stuff in our arms all day," ninth-grader Tiffany Duguay said. "It's frustrating."
Duguay helped plan the protest. After homeroom on Tuesday, between 30 and 50 students walked out. Some parents stopped by to show support.
"I think it's a good idea," said Vickie Vachon, whose son walked out of classes. "They've done it peacefully, and they get excited when people toot their horns. Otherwise, they're doing a good job. They haven't done anything wrong."
Students and parents said that they understand the school's need to keep the students safe, but they said the policy has gone too far.
"It's not just backpacks -- it's pocketbooks, anything," parent Ann Doucette said. "They take anything from them."
To avoid distractions for other students, police moved the protestors away from the high school, and some said they were threatened with arrest.
"It's not against the law for them to gather in protest, but it is against the law to impede either vehicular or pedestrian traffic or to become a nuisance," Police Chief Ed Wagner said.
Some students said that they were suspended for their act of protest. School officials have not said whether they plan to modify the ban.
Copyright 2005 by TheWMURChannel. All rights reserved.

[Russell Kanning]

They seem to threaten everyone with arrest. Can you picture them hauling in 50 high schoolers.....where would they put them all?

[Kat Kanning]

These kids aren't taking lightly the attempts to mold them into good police state citizens.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Friggen little terrorists

[AlanM]

Friggen little terrorists

Do they have short police in Conway?

[KBCraig]

These kids aren't taking lightly the attempts to mold them into good police state citizens.

Outreach opportunity!

Kevin

[Lloyd Danforth]

Friggen little terrorists

Do they have short police in Conway?

I meant the kids.

Friggen little Anarchists!

[AlanM]

Friggen little terrorists

Do they have short police in Conway?

I meant the kids.

Friggen little Anarchists!

I was being facetious. 

[Lloyd Danforth]

Friggen little terrorists

Do they have short police in Conway?

I meant the kids.

Friggen little Anarchists!

I was being facetious.?

As was I