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In times of war, protests and acts of civil disobedience were not uncommon. During the Vietnam era, protests on college campuses reached a fever pitch.
In 1970, four students were killed by National Guard troops at Kent State University in Ohio. Students across the nation were demonstrating against the bombing of Cambodia by the Nixon administration. In the 1960s and early 1970s, protesting was a way of life.
Students burned draft cards in the streets. They sang peace songs and wore T-shirts with peace signs and slogans such as "Make love, not war."
Returning soldiers were greeted with disdain by the American public; flag-draped coffins arriving at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware - the site of the largest mortuary in the military - were a common sight on the evening news.
This was the era of the military draft, in which young men were obligated to serve their country. Much of the criticism of the draft at the time was that most of these young men came from poor backgrounds and had little education.
College students were given a deferment as long as they were enrolled in classes. Another complaint was that the draftees were disproportionately minorities.
Today, with a volunteer military and a war being fought in the name of national security and anti-terrorism, most Americans do not feel the impact of the war in their own backyard. The war in Iraq has drawn comparisons to the war in Vietnam.
Many critics call it a quagmire. Proponents of the war have called criticism demoralizing. The images of flag-draped coffins returning home have all but disappeared.
Protests have been few, and colleges that receive federal funding are barred from restricting military recruiting. March 19, the third anniversary of the start of the second war on Iraq, was marked by protests around the world. But what about protests and activism on college campuses in San Antonio?
In the weeks leading up to the start of Gulf War II in 2003, students from this college and high schools in San Antonio joined a One-Day National Student Strike on this campus to protest the invasion of Iraq.
Though the crowds were smaller - about 1,500 at a Feb. 2 protest, and 200 at a March 7 protest - emotions ran high. Supporters of the invasion threw firecrackers, and in one case, a piece of fried chicken, at anti-war protesters.
The latest cause to draw students - as young as middle school - is the immigration issue. House Bill 4437, the immigration reform bill now before Congress, would make helping illegal immigrants enter the country a felony. It also would make being in the country illegally a felony.
Violations currently carry only minor penalties. Immigration reform, as it is defined in the legislation, has sparked nationwide protests and divided the country. Bob Schieffer, CBS News anchor and host of "Face the Nation," recently said there have not been protests on this scale since the Vietnam era.
A protest April 10 drew 18,000 people downtown with a rally at Milam Park followed by a march to HemisFair Park. With cheers of "¡Viva La Raza!" and "¡Si Se Puede!" the crowd listened to speeches then marched east on Nueva Street to the park. "¡Si Se Puede!" translates roughly into "Yes, we can" or "It can be done." "¡Viva La Raza!" means "Long live the people."
Not everyone was in agreement with the protesters at the march. Someone held a sign reading "Mexicans need special favors." A scuffle involving San Antonio Police Department officers and protesters started near the person carrying the sign.
Police officers were providing traffic control and trying to keep people on the sidewalks.
"Some resisted, and a struggle ensued," Officer Joe Rios said. "Officers got drawn into the struggle."
Pepper spray was released into the crowd, Rios said, adding the source of the spray was unclear at the time. Four people were arrested at the scene by officers, three for assault on a public servant and one for inciting a riot and disorderly conduct, Rios said.
Having grown up in Laredo, liberal arts freshman Alejandro Casso, 19, and his brother, Raul, 20, a drama sophomore, had a personal connection to the immigration issue. "We're supporting our people," Alejandro Casso said. "We are the rising majority, and it's up to us to speak."
The Casso brothers said they left classes at this college at 2 p.m. to join the protest.
Nathan Devore, 19, a liberal arts freshman here, was with friends at the protest. "We all have a common belief," Devore said. "No human being is illegal." That phrase was chanted and carried on signs during the protest and march, emphasizing a common thread throughout the event: Any change in immigration status of illegal immigrants would make felons out of almost 11 million people.
One sign read "The USA is made up of immigrants," and others said "America was built with the sweat of Mexicans" and "My grandma was not a felon." Another was directed at the Minuteman Project, a group that patrols the border to augment law enforcement efforts: "Minutemen: Go find Bin Laden. We are not your enemies."
Veronica Gonzales, 24, a history senior at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said, "The United States is built on the backs of immigrants. Because of that, they deserve dignity. Building a wall is like building a wall in my soul. I can't stand for that."
Several students from the Hispanic Students Association at UTSA supported the immigration protest. "I see it as a stepping stone to prevent injustice to Hispanics," history sophomore José Mandujao, 20, said.
History sophomore Carlos Ponce, 20, also a member of the association, said he was at the rally to help illegal immigrants gain legal status. "Without them, there is no work force," Ponce said. Both Ponce and Mandujao said this was their first time protesting, and they would protest again.
Sociology sophomore Robert Gutierrez, 22, protested in support of his family without missing any classes. "They had to come over here," Gutierrez said. "They're legal now, but I'm here for them."
The protest and rally were the first such an event for Amanda Haas, 19, a political science freshman at UTSA. Haas, also was representing the United Methodist Student Movement.
"We do not support the immigration act," Haas said. "It's unjust and evil." The size of the crowd did not surprise Haas, who said she is from Amarillo. "It's a small town," Haas said. "Not a lot of this happens there."
The students at the rally and march came not only from colleges but from high schools and middle schools, risking punishment for leaving classes without permission.
Jonathan Navarro, 15, a freshman at Alamo Heights High School, took part in the protest to support his family.
"I hope they change their mind about sending immigrants back to Mexico," Navarro said. "Half of San Antonio will be gone, and all my family might go back, too."
Francisco Reed, 15, also a freshman at Alamo Heights, had a family connection to the protest. "Immigration is important to my family," Reed said. "My grandparents were illegal."
Reed said he did not go to school and might bring a note to get his absence excused.
A Jefferson High School sophomore said he left school about 1 p.m. and likely would receive a citation for truancy.
"I need to be here," Zeus Arreola, 16, said. "This country was built on immigrants - all of San Antonio is mostly Mexican."
One student from Harris Middle School won't face punishment for leaving school at 2 p.m. "My parents took me out of school," Tesla Olvera, 13, said. "I'm here supporting the rights of immigrants."
A group of students from Fox Tech High School led by social studies Instructor Sandra Morales was at the march wearing red shirts, one of Fox Tech's school colors.
"We organized students to write a protest letter to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn," Morales said.
Cornyn is supporting the parts of the Senate's immigration reform package calling for criminalizing illegal immigrants and will vote against any provision calling for amnesty.
Their presence at the protest was meant to be an educational experience, she said.
Morales and the students left Fox Tech for the rally at the end of the school day.
At the march, people with orange T-shirts reading "Legal Observer" mingled with the crowd. The Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund put attorneys in the crowd to assist students.
"We're here to ensure a safe march and that no one is impeded in their First Amendment rights," attorney Marisol Perez said.
MALDEF also has been consulting with students who have been issued citations or warnings. "We're urging high school principals and superintendents to allow students to protest and to be lenient with their punishment," Perez said.
Gabriel Rosique, who teaches Spanish at Barbara Bush Middle School, thought his students would learn more by staying in school.
"My students don't know why we're doing this," Rosique said. "Their job is to go to school."
Rosique said he was at the protest to bring the immigration issue out of the shadows and to take the experience back to his students. "I will tell them what this is all about." FW
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