Teaneck High School planned walkout for Palestine draws protest, antisemitic claims
A walkout planned by Teaneck High School students on Wednesday during school hours in support of Palestine has led to a counterprotest and claims of antisemitism.
Plans for the walkout, circulated via a flyer online, encourage students to skip the last class of the day and leave the school at 1:30 p.m. for a rally at the football field before a march to the municipal building at 2:55 p.m.
The controversy centers around the school district's allowing this to happen. The flyer claims the walkout was "approved by the board" and is in protest of the "genocide" happening in Gaza.
However, Maryam, one of the two organizers, who did not give her last name, said during an interview Tuesday that although the superintendent and principal know of the plan, "This will not be a consequences-free walkout." Students who walk out will be marked as having an unexcused absence from their last class.
In a statement to the Teaneck community, Andre D. Spencer, the superintendent of schools, said: "It is essential to recognize that our scholars have the First Amendment right to express themselves, even if no board action is taken. This peaceful demonstration is a student-led event. We want to remind all non-staff adults and community members that they are not permitted on campus during the event."
More: With tensions high in Teaneck, a Muslim and a Jewish student want to bring people together
"We are trying to come together in support of the Palestine people," Maryam said.
Maayan, an Israeli student who attends Teaneck High School, said in a statement released through an agency that the environment at the school "falls nothing short of disgusting, toxic, and suffocating. ... I feel like I’m constantly having to justify who I am while keeping quiet over the hate that’s poured on to me, and I feel scared.“
Maryam said she feels bad that there are some Jewish students who feel hurt or unsafe because of this walkout, but she added: "It is a peaceful event."
The Bergen County Jewish Action Committee held a rally on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on the municipal green "to call for the immediate removal of this libelous and hateful protest from taking place."
The Rabbinical Council of Bergen County said in a statement: "We demand that the Superintendent and Board of Education prevent this grotesque and overt antisemitism in public school."
Spencer said in his email: "Consistent with the district's intolerance for any type of bigotry, including antisemitism and Islamophobia, the demonstration will be peaceful. We want to assure you that the safety and security of all our staff and scholars is our greatest priorities."
Nearby: In Paterson's 'Little Palestine,' a community is united in grief
When asked if she was concerned about the safety of the students who will participate in the walkout, Maryam said she was not worried about safety during the event. She said all students will be peaceful and will be safe while on school grounds. She did say she is worried about when students leave the school property and whether adults or others from the community show up and cause problems. The organizers have also spoken with the Teaneck Police Department, which will have a presence during and after the walkout.
"We want people to know that we are fighting for a good cause and it has been disheartening that so many people have tried to stop us," she said.
When asked about the Israeli hostages, she said, "We are not denying that there is not violence on both sides and that there are hostages, but this is about standing with the oppressed people."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Teaneck High School planned walkout for Palestine draws counterprotest
