Hispanic Parents Protest Demolition of Public School’s Fieldhouse in Pilsen
A gathering of Hispanic parents demonstrated Saturday in protest against the demolition of the fieldhouse of a public school in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, which for three years they tried to make into a library.
“This is a criminal and violent act on this community. They stormed in at night…and forced everybody out. Three (of our group) were arrested because they did not move as quickly as the police commander wanted them to,” Carolina Gaete, a member of the parents’ group defending the fieldhouse they call “La Casita,” said.
Chicago Public Schools had ordered the demolition of the building, which belongs to Whittier Elementary School with its 400 students, mostly of Mexican origin, because of structural problems that threatened the students’ safety.
But the parents said they could reconstruct the building and make it into a library and educational center for adults by applying the safety measures required by the authorities.
In their protests they managed to occupy the fieldhouse for 40 days in 2010, until the Board of Education postponed the demolition in search of another solution.
“CPS is a liar, nothing but liars. They made a promise, and now they creep in in the middle of the night. Why now? Why at night? So no one sees this betrayal, this hypocrisy,” Chris Gevanis, who