First Day of School
Protest at PS123 against
HSA Charter School’s Invasion

Thanx to Angel Gonzalez
of the Grassroots Education Movement, GEM

September 9, 2009 – District 5, Harlem NYC

First day of school, 6:30AM: the Community Public School 123, the Harlem Success Academy (HSA), an invading Private Charter School in the same public building on 141 St., and the Dept of Education (DOE), were treated on the street to a hands-on lesson in justice, equality & democracy. 25 parents, teachers& education activists denounced the chaos precipitated by the HSA charter takeover of PS 123 classrooms, the disarray to their supplies & furnishings, the DOEs dictatorial imposition of charter schools, privatization and the resulting separate and unequal conditions.

Parents speak out!

One telling moment at around 6:32-6:45 — The charter schools kids are being lined up against the wall of the building. They're obviously a little frightened in the hubbub and it is not clear why they have to be there at all instead of being taken inside. The demonstrators are certainly not preventing them from entering the building. One certainly has to question what's going on here.