Hundreds of Tri City Students March Demanding School Re-Open

Led by a trio of loud, smiling high school boys waving huge American flags, hundreds of area students descended on Lampson Stadium then the KSD Admin building Wednesday morning. At it's peak, there were believed to be about 400 plus students.

We saw Bombers, Braves, Lions, Suns, and a good helping of middle school and even a lot of elementary school aged children.

Starting around 10AM, the students marched down 4th Ave. all the way to Vancouver, then back up to the Kennewick School District Administration Building, then circled the building numerous times. The protest, which lasted the better part of an hour, was punctuated by frequent chants. The three teens leading the march shouted "what do we want?" the students answered "We Want School!" Then, "When Do We Want it?"  "Now!"

They could be heard a block away. During the sidewalk march, the line of students stretched all the way from the KSD building west to the intersection of 4th and Vancouver.

Some of the signs seen read "protect the at-risk, rest back to school,"  or "zoom room is not a classroom,"  another read, "my future depends upon school."

Dozens of vehicles passing by honked and waved, some even had soap pen slogans painted on windows supporting students return to class.

The only tense moment occurred when a car full of young probably late teen girls pulled to a stop as students were crossing (in the crosswalk) back to the Admin building.  The girls in the car flipped off the student marchers for an extended period of time before traffic cleared, and there were some words exchanged between several of the students and the 'flippers.'

Most of the kids, which included dozens of middle and elementary school age marchers, were heard to say 'why would you flip off school kids?!?'

There were a number of KPD and Benton County Deputies standing by watching, but no incidents occurred and other than the car full of "bird flippers" no one showed up to confront the march.