It sparked with a discussion in the library of White Salmon’s Columbia High School amongst citizens and non-citizens who were too young or too undocumented to vote.
They were talking about President George W. Bush’s guest-worker program and about a bill the House of Representatives passed in December, which would, among other things, erect a 700-mile fence along the southwest border.
They were mad.
And they decided to do something about it.
“It made us really angry what they were trying to do,” said Nicole Hepner, 16. “So we just wanted to voice our opinions.”
At noon, they walked out of school and toward city hall on Jewett and Main, lining the streets with signs that read: “Bush is a Nazi.”
And “Mexicans are not criminals.”
“Then we marched through town,” Hepner said.
They moved onto Bingen and eventually to Overlook Memorial Park in Hood River – perhaps the epicenter of the Gorge’s social protests.
They stayed until evening, screaming as pick-up trucks and automobiles carrying supporters who were waving Mexican flags drove by again and again and again and again.
“We can’t vote so this is all we can do to voice our opinions,” Hepner said.
Businesses in White Salmon and Hood River complained to their respective police departments about the noise the protest was causing.
White Salmon Police Sergeant Bruce Brending said he gave out warnings to students who were not wearing seat belts or students who were riding in the backs of pick-up trucks.
“Juveniles riding on the backs of pick-ups is not only dangerous or illegal,” he said.
But he did not cite protesters for any of these violations.
“They have a right to express their political views by protesting and I don’t want to intervene in that. But at the same time, I think they have the responsibility to make sure they are not disturbing the peace to a great degree.”
Hood River Police Chief Bruce Ludwig warned a few protesters for congesting an already-congested intersection at State and Second Street.
“Some people were laying on horns from one end of block to next,” Ludwig said. “We got three or four complaints about disruption.”
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