Quakertown students, police clash sparks Bucks County school board meeting

QUAKERTOWN, Pa. - Community members and students filled a school board meeting in Quakertown to address concerns after a student walkout protest last Friday ended in a confrontation with police and several arrests.

Community demands answers after protest leads to arrests

What we know:

The school board president said students reported receiving threats in the days leading up to the planned protest. 

The district then received its own threat and canceled the protest, but students still walked out. 

The protest, which was against ICE, ended in a physical altercation with Quakertown police, and some students were arrested.

Many attendees blamed the district for not having a plan to allow students to protest safely. 

"Other districts facing similar situations, like Pennsbury and Neshaminy provided on-campus alternatives, so students could express themselves safely while remaining under supervision," one speaker said.

Students and parents voice frustration and support

What they're saying:

"While the incident left me and many others concerned and disappointed, my hope is that we come here tonight and look for ways to re-establish our shared sense of community," said Aiden Myers, a junior at Quakertown High School.

Some parents questioned why the protest was canceled instead of being moved to a safer location. 

"Common sense tells us that if the threats were believable, why not have the protests on the property? why cancel it?" one parent said. Michael Rodgers, a parent, added, "The threat that was given was that a gun was gonna be present at the walk-out. None of y'all know that but I do. I want that cancelled."

Others spoke in support of law enforcement, emphasizing the importance of following rules during protests. 

"I support our police. I support our constitution. Freedom of speech is not freedom from consequence. If you want to protest, if you want your voices to be heard, do it without violating laws, breaking policy, causing problems, blocking traffic, blocking sidewalks, assaulting each other or assaulting police," one attendee said.

The board president responds to criticism

Local perspective:

Quakertown School Board President David O'Donnell said the board met with student organizers a week before the protest to discuss plans and alternative ways to demonstrate without disrupting the school day. 

O'Donnell said, "This was in no way an attempt to silence students but adhering to prioritize safety of all students and staff members."

Some students said they did not recognize the police chief during the confrontation because he was not in uniform. 

Several community members expressed disappointment with the district’s handling of the situation, with one saying, "To the point that they were attacked by unidentified law enforcement was less than a half hour, I'm disgusted by the egregious failures of this school district."

The meeting included calls for the district to provide safer, supervised options for student protests in the future.