Sioux City Journal (Iowa)
By Bret Hayworth
October 23, 2015
Two
relatives from the Sioux City metro area said they expect a large
number of protesters to greet Republican presidential candidate Donald
Trump as he arrives
Tuesday at West High School.
"We are getting a lot of community support," Ismael Valadez, of South Sioux City, said Friday.
Valadez
and his nephew, Francisco Valadez, tried to force Trump to hold the
campaign rally elsewhere. Starting Thursday, they gathered more than
1,000 signatures
on a petition that called on the Sioux City school district to reverse
its decision to let the billionaire businessman use the West gym.
The
Valadezes contend the billionaire businessman and reality TV star
should stay off school property because he has made comments that are
hostile to immigrants.
On
Friday, Sioux City school Superintendent Paul Gausman said he
understands Trump's visit to the school is controversial but that having
political rallies
in schools is allowed under the district's facility use policy.
Gausman
said the goal is to have events of broad interest in the community, and
Trump is paying a rental fee for the school usage.
"This
situation presents an opportunity for us to model for our students and
community how to properly demonstrate the rights of free speech and the
freedom
of assembly, and the democratic process," Gausman said.
Still,
the Valadezes want to make their displeasure known Tuesday. They
planned a protest, and by Friday morning more than 800 people said on a
Facebook account
they plan to take part. Ismael Valadez said he envisions a "silent
protest rally" on the school grounds when Trump speaks at 6 p.m. He said
the goal will not be to get into a war of words with Trump supporters.
"Most schools are working hard to try to prevent bullying in their institutions," Ismael Valadez said.
"What
kind of message is West High and the Sioux City Community School
District sending, by giving a stage and a platform to a bully like
Donald Trump?"
Francisco Valadez is a 2012 West High graduate who lives in Sioux City.
In
a statement, Gausman said several candidates have previously used
schools for presidential campaign events. That includes 2008 Republican
presidential nominee
John McCain and vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin at West High, and
eventual Democratic President Barack Obama at Irving Elementary School
in 2007 and 2008.
"It is not unusual for a political candidate to request to use a Sioux City Community School District facility," Gausman said.
Ismael
Valadez cited a recent Trump stop in Burlington, Iowa, for
anti-immigrant remarks, in discussing Ford Motor Co. potentially
building a plant in Mexico.
"I
mean, the way our country is run, if it doesn't happen to be me that
wins, you know what's going to happen? They're going to build a plant
and illegals
are going to drive those cars right over the border. ... And they'll
probably end up stealing the cars," Trump said.
Trump
had led the Republican field in Iowa in summer Quinnipiac University
polls. But in the most recent Quinnipiac poll on Thursday, Trump slipped
to second
place with 20 percent, behind the 28 percent of retired surgeon Ben
Carson.
Tuesday's
rally at West High will be Trump's second event in Sioux City in 2015.
The only other was in May at Morningside College, when he spoke to 200
people.
The West High event will be set up to hold many more people.
Trump's communications team did not respond to a request for comment.
Hector Salamanca, advocacy chair with DREAM Iowa, said Trump should not speak in any Iowa school.
“What’s
even more disturbing is the fact that a man like Donald Trump is being
invited into a school with such a diverse student body as West High. The
school
is 44 percent minority and 29 percent Latino. Letting Trump roam these
young people’s halls, spreading his vicious lies and hate, is deeply
disturbing," Salamanca said.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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