OAKLAND (KCBS RADIO) – Students are returning to classes at Oakland Unified School District campuses on Monday, at all but two campuses that were closed at the end of the last school year.
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Local activists have remained in control of one of those schools for the entirety of the summer, demanding that it be reopened.
After an altercation turned physical last week at Parker Elementary School between activists and OUSD security staff, there's now a crack in the front door window of the school so the people occupying the campus can monitor anyone who approaches.
Last Thursday's confrontation happened when OUSD tried to take control of the campus back from the activists, locking them out. When the group tried to get back inside, several people were injured, some having their arms wrenched behind their backs, slammed into walls, or in one case suffering a bloody lip and getting handcuffed.
Oakland Unified maintains everyone in the school is trespassing, but those living in the area disagree. "This isn't trespassing, this is community building," said Joel Velasquez, who lives in the area and is running for school board. "This is what this was intended for."
Over the summer, parents and volunteers held summer programs for students. It's not clear if any classes will be offered starting on Monday.
"Our public schools are under attack, and we're not going to allow that anymore," said Velasquez.
Most of the over 200 students who attended Parker last school year have transferred to other campuses.
Meanwhile, members of the "Parker Liberation" movement are demanding an investigation into the altercation last week in which they say 10 people were injured. According to a post on the "save.parker.school" Instagram on Sunday, the security company OUSD hired had been suspended by California.
The company, Overall And Associates Security, Inc. did not respond to KCBS Radio's request for comment at the time of publication.
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