With just under a thousand students, St. Ignatius Primary School is the city’s second largest school. And this afternoon the school used the presence and voice of those 900 plus students to shut down traffic on Albert Street and send one message loud and clear to the community.
[Children Chanting: No More Violence]
The chants were deafening this afternoon as all 900 students of St. Ignatius Primary School stomped through the city streets with placards demanding an end to something they do not initiate but are often victims of. The signs amply demonstrate a youth culture that is inundated with the imagery of guns and violence but determined not to be overcome by it. Vice Principal Mario Rodriguez says
that his students are taking a public and emphatic stand.
Mario Rodriquez, Vice Principal – St. Ignatius
“We are marching against crime and violence today. This is a march under the theme: choose positive alternatives, stop crime, and let live. We think it is a good effort because crime is very rampant these days and so we want to show that all of us at St. Ignatius prefer to stay crime free and we make a call on the community to join us.”
Keith Swift,
These students aren’t the ones committing the crimes. Who should get this message?
Mario Rodriquez,
“Well they have been victims of crime as well and we all are. Whenever crime takes place and we view it on the news or we experience it, we all share the pain of the community and so we are
experiencing it in some way. So we want to say this to everybody because everybody is involved. Everybody should be involved in this effort to stop crime.”
And if you don’t believe they are committed, try pulling off an elaborate dance routine on a warm city street – and you’ll know that these children are determined – or directed – to show uncommon grace under extraordinary pressure. Rodriguez says the dance is about showing that there are constructive alternatives to antisocial behaviour.
Mario Rodriquez,
“There are a number of us who prefer to stay crime free and we are aware of positive alternatives so we want the community to be aware that there are positive alternatives that you can take in terms of staying away from crime. The criminals as well, they might not be aware that there are alternatives. Some of them find out when they end up in jail where they end up playing sports and they end up doing other positive things. We are bringing awareness. A criminal may be in the making in the form of a young person and we want to say well here are some alternatives. Look at us today and look at what we are doing and this is not something that is just happening today. The activities you’re seeing are just being displayed but they take place everyday during the school year at St. Ignatius and also within the community.”
The school says the march was part of its Education Week activities.
