Counter protesters disrupted a rally in New York supporting competitive school admissions in the city’s elite high schools, reports the New York Post.
A proposal to do away with the admissions criteria is expected to be decided on soon by the Education Department.
Opponents of admission criteria say the testing and other requirements place Black and Latino students at a disadvantage. Supporters say the integrity of the gifted and talented programs and schools need to be maintained.
New York City’s elite schools are predominantly made up of Asian American and White students.
“People are struggling perhaps more than ever — especially people in low-income, Black, indigenous and Latinx communities,” said counterprotester Karma Selsey, 18, to the NY Daily News.
Members of her group, Teens Take Charge, made their way with a banner to the front of the rally organized by the Parent Group, Place NYC. That lead to the scuffle between the groups as members of the Parent Group blocked the teens.
“They tried to push their way in,” said Karlin Chan, a PLACE supporter, to the Post. “You don’t crash into someone else’s rally. Everybody’s standing, then all of a sudden they’re charging through the crowd, trying to raise their banner behind the speaker podium.”
The confrontation starts at 22 minutes into the video below.
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“Opponents of admission criteria say the testing and other requirements place Black and Latino students at a disadvantage.” I like how they try so hard “anti-racist” that they actually become racist. All I’m getting from this statement is, blacks and latinos are not smart enough to get into these elite schools so do away with the requirements. Really?