For Immediate Release:
Hundreds of students walk out of school today to protest war and military recruitment in schools

When: Today, Friday, November 16, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Where: Rally at Westlake Center at 4th Ave and Pine St, followed by a march to a military recruiting station and Judkins Park

Student Organizers Available for Interview:
Shanay Salas - Nova High School Student (253) 332 - 1597 shanaymachine@gmail.com
Matthew Pfeiffer - Nova High School Student (206) 898 - 2710 pfeifferock@yahoo.com
Marianne Mork - Seattle University Student (206) 931-8537 mariannemork@gmail.com

Website: http://www.yawr.org

In last year's election, the American voters sent a clear message to end this war that has killed over 3,800 US soldiers, 1,000 private military contractors, and 655,000 Iraqis. Instead of cutting off the funds, the new Democrat-controlled Congress continues to hand Bush billions of dollars for this illegal occupation - over $500 billion to date. With public services - particularly public education - having their funding cut in order to fund this war while our country spirals further into debt, the youth of this nation are refusing to be silent.

On Friday, November 16, 2007, Youth Against War and Racism (YAWR) - the student-led social justice group that has orchestrated three successful city wide walk-outs and forced the Seattle School Board to tighten its policy on military recruiters in school - is calling for a National Student Walkout against the war and military recruiters in our schools. Thousands of students in cities across the nation including Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, Centralia, Chehalis, Bellingham, Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Boston are walking out of class on November 16 to demand an immediate withdrawal of all troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, funding for jobs & education not war, and an end to military recruitment in schools, and an end to military recruiters' dishonest, discriminatory targeting of low-income students and students of color.

Kristen Ebeling explained why she is organizing a walkout from her school: "Although schoolwork is obviously important to me, I see war as not just something I will protest on the weekends. While I am in class, people are still dying on the other half of the world, and I feel an individual responsibility to do all that I can to stop this from continuing."

Youth Against War and Racism Organizer Ramy Khalil questions those who say this walkout is disrupting education. "It is President Bush and the Democrat-controlled Congress who are disrupting our children's education, not these courageous students. The Seattle School district recently closed seven schools, claiming they had a budget deficit. If we elect leaders who prioritize rich oil companies' wars for oil above funding education, jobs, and healthcare, then the students have no choice but to vote with their feet. We are calling on all students, parents, and teachers to spread the word about this walkout and come to the rally to show the government that we will not allow business as usual to continue until they bring all the troops home immediately."

Students from the region will walk of classes at noon and converge at Westlake Center at 1pm for a rally and concert with speakers and performers including local high school students and anti-war activists, youth poets, Aaron Dixon - co-founder of the Seattle chapter of the Black Panthers, and Reverend Robert Jeffrey from New Hope Church. Students and their supporters will then participate in a peaceful march through downtown to a military recruiting station and Judkins Park. Students are expected from every Seattle high school and numerous other high schools in the area. Please contact our student organizers above for interviews before, during, and after the walk out.

Tacoma students are organizing a walkout on November 15th, the day before the Seattle walkout, at 3:30 PM at the Tacoma Mall military recruiting station (south side of Tacoma Office building, 4402 South Steele).

Walkout sponsored by Youth Against War and Racism.
Endorsers: Nova HS Peace & Justice Collective, Nathan Hale HS Peace Club, Lake Washington HS Peace Club, Minnesota YAWR, Green Party of Washington State, CODEPINK, StandUp!Seattle, Team Victory, Palestine Solidarity Committee, Socialist Alternative, International Socialist Organization, SCCC Student Anti-War Collective, Freedom Socialist Party, Philippine-US Solidarity Organization and BAYAN-USA (Pinay sa Seattle, AnakBayan Seattle, and Arts Kultural Seattle), Anti Racist Action Los Angeles/People Against Racist Terror, The Exile Project (a Musical Theatre Performance exploring the Prison Industrial Complex)