11 protestors upset over school closing arrested at City Hall

Eleven protestors, upset over the impending closure of Bronzeville’s Dyett High School, were arrested Tuesday evening after a sit-in at City Hall.

Parents and neighborhood activists planned the sit-in and a press conference over Dyett High at 555 E. 51st St., which is expected to close after this school year.

According to city spokesperson Kelley Quinn, “City officials met with the group several times regarding their list of demands—and in fact agreed to the majority of them.”

However, the group refused to leave, even after the building closed at 6 p.m., according to Quinn.

The group told staffers and police that “regardless of any concessions,” they wanted to be arrested, according to Quinn.

At 11:45 p.m., 11 people were taken into custody and charged with criminal trespassing on city property, a misdemeanor, according to Quinn.

Several students at the protest said it has been hard to stay motivated this year because the school environment is depressing.

“We deserve a chance at dialogue. We deserve equal rights like every other school. Even though we don’t have the numbers,” senior Willie Doles, 18, told the Sun-Times. “This year so far it’s been sad. At Dyett, there’s no hope in there,” said Chrisean Criddell, 17, also a senior.