LA CASITA! La Casita saved, for now as protesters, union members stop demolition crew
LaCasita — the fieldhouse that might become a library on the grounds of Whittier Elementary School in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood — was again defended from possible demolition on the morning of Friday, June 24, 2011. The night before, eight parents had blocked a Board of Education dump truck from entering the school grounds, and sent out an emergency call for supporters. Some stayed overnight in the LaCasita (which is Spanish for “little house”), and were joined by other parents, neighbors and supporters from around the city starting at about 5:30 Friday morning.
Construction workers sent by the Board of Education to possibly tear down a classroom inside the school and the fieldhouse outside had told the LaCasita parents on Thursday night that they would not cross picket lines. Yet before 9 a.m. Friday morning, but one man carrying rolled up blueprints pushed past a group of picketers at the main entrance of the school and entered the building. This was viewed as part of the attack on the separate LaCasita building, because the Board of Ed had announced plans to tear apart the school’s Special Education classroom to turn it into a library. This would violate an agreement the parents thought they had with the Board to leave the classrooms alone in the overcrowded school, and renovate the old LaCasita building to serve as a new library. (Currently, the school has no library for its 450+ students, except for a make-shift library created in LaCasita by volunteers.)
Shortly after the man with blueprints entered, a man in a construction worker’s hardhat attempted to enter the same entrance, but was blocked by picketers, and turned away. Picketers at all the entrances continued to hold signs and shout chants in both English and Spanish. Some 45 minutes later, the man with the blueprints came out the same door, still carrying rolled up blueprints.
Meanwhile, the crowd of chanting supporters had grown to about 80 people, while the police presence had grown to approximately 20 officers, including police cruisers blocking both ends of the street. At around 9:30, a small group of police officers attempted to enter LaCasita, which is serving as the headquarters of the parent organizers. Picketers stood in their way, and some of the other picketers ran from their posts at the school entrances to observe the confrontation [see photo], and the police soon backed away.
The parent who spoke with them said the police officers were polite, and asked her “What do you want?”
“We want [Jean Paul] Brizzard [the new head of the Board of Education] to come here,” she replied.
“Why don’t you go downtown?” the officer asked.
“No, we’ve been there too many times.”
By this time, a WGN-TV camera crew had come and gone, and WBEZ-FM (Chicago Public Radio) had broadcast a story on the protest at Whittier on its morning newscast. Later that morning, camera crews and reporters arrived from Channel 5, Channel 7, and Univision. A contingent of people wearing suits, apparently from the Board of Education but not including Brizzard, arrived and spoke with the police officers. Most of the police left the scene, and the cruisers that had been blocking the street drove away.
Some picketers left for jobs or other reasons, but others arrived, including many wearing shirts, caps or buttons identifying them as members of such organizations as the Coalition of Rank and File Educators (CORE), the Chicago Teachers Union, Service Employees International Union, Graduate Students Union, one member of the Industrial Workers of the World (aka Wobblies), and one member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
By noon, the site was fairly quiet as organizers spoke with reporters inside LaCasita, protesters put down their signs and chatted and snacked, and their children (and some of the adults) played on the playground equipment next to LaCasita.
Organizers say they plan to stay at the site around the clock, and ask for a continuing stream of volunteers to help maintain the picket lines. They say they don’t trust the Board of Ed, and want to make sure it doesn’t attempt a sneaky midnight demolition.
By: Dave Vance
Stop Whittier Classroom Demolition
The situation at Whittier is tense. Today, Friday June 24 (around 3:pm) five Chicago cops arrived on bicycles in the front of La Casita doorway causing panic among everyone from the children to the adults. The cops just wanted to know, “was everything OK.” It really looked like a scouting patrol; for how many people are still around to defend the field house and block the next demolition move.
I should point out there is a large truck dumpster parked next to the school and facing the playground. There is a temporary 6’ high chain length fence from 23rd street to the alley cutting across the playground and hiding the dumpster.
The school activists I spoke to in La Casita said they think Monday morning will be a showdown between CPS demolition and the Whittier parents.
I think a showdown is also coming. J.C. Brizard wants to clean up the mess left by Ron Huberman. Many activists feel that after demolition inside Whittier, the field house will be next. CPS officials are not going to permit another 43 day sit-in to cause them trouble. They don’t want to have to listen to parents and community who demand decent school services.
J.C. Brizard wants to look tough for his new boss Rahm. It’s not about the children and better school conditions. It’s not about money because remodeling the field house is cheaper than demolition inside on the 2nd floor of an old building. It’s not about the best ADA compliant location for a library, because the field house is easily accessible.
It’s about destroying parent and community voices for bankers and businessmen who want to privatize as many schools as possible. Whittier is next on their list.