Jesse Hagopian, a teacher in the Seattle Public School System and Founding Member of Seattle Equality Educators (SEE), was arrested on Monday for standing up for his students.
After the banner was unfurled, Jesse Hagopian called out “mic check!” and the teachers responded. Then the chant began:
It is immoral
It is illegal
These cuts will hurt families
These cuts will hurt kids
These cuts will hurt educators
King county Superior Court judge
Ruled that these cuts are constitutionally illegal
The Constitution of Washington state reads it is the paramount duty to fully
Fund education
We therefore issue a citizen’s arrest of this Washington State Legislature
We call for taxing the rich
We call to fund the schools
Police officers rushed in and Jesse was heard saying “I’m not resisting but I’m also not leaving. Our legislature is the one breaking the law!”
Meanwhile teachers outside in the hallway were offering handcuffs to police officers to use to arrest the legislators who were willing to break the law by cutting the education budget in our state.
Jesse was arrested later that afternoon after leading the following mic check during the legislative meeting:
Jesse Hagopian was released this morning. Below is what he said in an e-mail to friends and members of SEE:
I was arrested today at the capital for protesting against the budget cuts. Still no bankers in jail, but they have arrested teachers trying to get money for the schools. And as we pointed out, it is the Washington State Legislature that is breaking the law by failing their constitutional duty to fully fund education. Anyway, I’m out now and back to school tomorrow! They can’t jail an idea whose time has come!
Thanks to everyone who helped protest for justice today!
According to one teacher who participated in the peaceful disobedience action, later that day several people were dragged away as teachers sat in the rotunda and sang “Which side are you on?” to the police and the legislative observers.
The teacher went on to say that “The sweet a cappella was beautiful and brought many to tears”.
There were legal witnesses present to observe the peaceful actions.
At 6:30 PM more officers arrived to “protect” the Rotunda.
The teachers who were not dragged away stayed until about 8:30 PM yesterday evening.
God bless those teachers, each and every one of them.
Dora
See the post below for what happened the following day:
Seattle Education 
Thank you for your courage Jesse and others. Thank you seattleeducation2011 for posting and following. It is teachers like Jesse that educate and lead by example. Our state legislators must be held accountable to the same laws that make not fully funding education illegal. We must continue to speak out in support of funding public education. We can’t all be in Olympia, but it is important to support those who can. Your efforts are greatly appreciated…not only by your students but your colleagues as well. Kudos!
That’s me with the big white banner in a photo taken late in the afternoon by former SPS teacher Kathryn Maly. I found Kathryn sitting comfortably against a marble wall on the top floor of the Rotunda, charging her iPhone using one of the people’s electrical outlets. The banner was dropped over the edge, but the “rule” is not to “secure” it. The workers agreed that we could save it for “re-use” they seemed to approve of. Contact me on Facebook if you want to use it. Looks like a message that will stay current through 2011 at least! An all-cuts budget is unacceptable. So is all-sales-tax revenue. As Kathryn says, “Pair the sales tax with the high-income tax in one ballot and we’ll see which one the people choose!”
Anyway, the photo’s ideal caption could read something like:
Seattle Schools educator Rick Harlan holds one of the many labor, educator, student and community banners used to offer advice to legislators. Rick also advises legislative remedial reading classes for legislators to understand the state constitution, using dictionaries for big words like “paramount” re their duty, and “ample” as a clear modifier for public education “funding”.
Rick,
You’re awesome!
Thanks for letting me know it was you holding the banner. I made the change in the caption.
Dora
Nice work and congratulations to all the protesters and to SEE for organizing the demonstration.
Jesse and other participants in this effort are totally correct and courageous and carrying the message to thousands of people.
With gratitude
Carol Simmons
Jesse wasn’t arrested when we interrupted the legislative session. We put a little show outside for the cameras and onlookers, and then paraded around the rotunda.
The Occupy folks arrived soon after that, and took up positions in the rotunda including the (now empty) legislative and senate chambers. We got in a heated debate with Ed Murray, Seattle legislator who champions gay rights but still votes to cut school funding.
The arrest happened a bit later- when we and many others decided to attend the Senate Ways and Means Committee hearing. We got inside and many many more did not. While we waited for the hearing to start, hundreds more occupy folks jammed the outside hallways banging on the doors and chanting “No More Cuts!”
Finally the meeting started and we made our move. We did the same Mic Check, moving the front of the hearing room and unfurled the banner. But this time we had hundreds of other occupiers there to help us with the call and response. Jesse was obviously leading this chant too, and at one point was separated from the rest of us (we were in the front of the room, but he was IN FRONT of the legislators). There was a bit of a melee as we unfurled our banner and the State Patrol officers tried to rip it out of our hands. It was at this time that Jesse became surrounded by officers. As we finished our mic check, new chants started and then the other occupiers took over. One woman led a very very eloquent call and response song. While this was happening, Jesse was hauled away. There was a high level of tension at this time due to the crowds banging on the doorways. The fact of Jesse’s separation from the rest of us also contributed to his being arrested. It might not have happened if he was in a crowd. Then again, it wouldn’t have been quite as dramatic. It was an amazing image, him being arrested while wearing the “I AM a Teacher” shirt. The crowds there were very very supportive. We left the hearing after participating in the chants and mic checks for awhile, and took the now shredded poster into the hallway to the cheers of the crowd. The hearing was eventually suspended so they could clear the room and hallways of protesters.
Thanks Noam for the correction. I will revise the post.
Please note that I added the You Tube video.
Dora