LC students planning anti-war walkout

A handful of Lewis and Clark High School students plan to hold an anti-war walkout protest during school hours Friday that organizers predict will draw up to 200 people.

Students plan to march with signs to Riverfront Park for speeches and demonstrations.

School officials heard about the protest when a teacher intercepted a flier circulating around school Monday. Student organizers say planning for the event has gone on for two weeks.

Teachers have been alerted. The event is not backed by, or organized by, the school. Students who do not receive permission from their parents to leave campus could receive truancies.

Lewis and Clark Principal Jon Swett said he will honor the absence of students whose parents have given them permission. Swett said he is concerned about classroom disruptions and student safety. The Spokane Police have been notified of the event.

“We’re not doing anything extraordinary because of this situation. We don’t have any idea if there will be 10 kids or 200,” Swett said. “We will be prepared and we will respond.”

The lead organizer, Ben Bowditch, 16, a Lewis and Clark sophomore, has his mother’s permission to be involved.

“I fully support him and in fact I’m proud of him that he’s involved politically,” said Cathy Bowditch. “He’s poured a lot of effort into this. He’s a good kid. He’s never been in trouble.”

Cathy Bowditch, a graduate student at Eastern Washington University, said she will attend the protest.

At his home, Bowditch has 500 signs, each featuring the name of a United States soldier who died in Iraq. Signs will be handed out to students during the protest, Bowditch said.

Bowditch said he expects up to 200 students, including students from other high schools, will gather and walk downtown to Riverfront Park’s Clocktower at 11:30 a.m. At 12:30 p.m., they plan to deliver speeches, poetry and stage a “die in” to raise awareness of the costs of war, Bowditch said.

Rusty Nelson, an active war protester and director of the Peace and Justice Action League, said he was recently invited to attend.

“If they have 100 students, that would be astounding,” Nelson said.

Nelson knows firsthand the challenge of rallying people to hoist signs and express their opinions. There was talk of holding a similar event in the spring at the high school, but students never actually carried through, Nelson said.

In fact, this sort of student walkout is so rare, neither Nelson nor school officials could recall a similar event locally.

“I’m pretty sure there was nothing like this in ‘91 (for the Gulf War),” Nelson said.

Mary Harnetiaux, a parent of a Lewis and Clark student, said she’s not surprised to hear of a student-led protest at the school.

“It’s a good group of kids, very bright, very passionate,” said Harnetiaux, whose son has not yet mentioned the event to his mother.

After classes Wednesday, students in the hallways talked about the planned event. Most had heard about it and said word was spreading fast. Everyone thought it would go on as planned.

Mary Waller, 16, said she wants to join the protest, but doesn’t think her mother would allow it.

“Why couldn’t they do it on a Saturday?” said Bethany Abbott, 16, who wasn’t sure if she could attend. “Some people will do it just to miss school, but some will do it because they really care.”

The idea of the event is to get people involved and to make them think about the issues impacting their lives, said Bowditch.

“It’s been a lot of work in the last two weeks,” Bowditch said.

But it’s been worth it because he truly learned something, that one person can make a difference, Bowditch said.

“We’re hoping to start a club at school, a Lewis and Clark peace and justice league after this,” Bowditch said.