By , ,
Published December 07, 2016
A day after a Spanish-language immersion school was defaced with “Build the wall higher” graffiti all over the school, a group of community members showed up to show their love.
As students arrived at Cali Calmecac Language Academy in Windsor, California, on Tuesday morning, about 40 Windsor towns people stood at the entrance holding placards that read: “Windsor loves Cali,” and “Have a great day at school.”
“I saw a post on Facebook, and I went myself and made a sign,” Vice Mayor Debora Fudge told Fox News Latino. “The school is revered and to have hate acts in our town, it was extremely upsetting for the kids and parents at the school – and really the whole community.”
On Monday, the students at the school were greeted by pro-Donald Trump and “Build the wall higher” graffiti on the school. Trump vowed that if he were elected president he would build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and make Mexico pay for it.
The school serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade, and teaches in both English and Spanish. About 75 percent of the more than 1,000 students at the school are Hispanic.
“I’ve been active in the Windsor school. We’ve volunteered a lot," Vicky Royer, a Windsor resident who organized the rally told Fox News Latino. "I know a lot of children and families at the school, and they were so deeply affected. We had to react and show the kids and family they are supported."
She added, "We put it all together in 24 hours. It was a wonderful thing. There was no political intent. It was simply to show love."
Royer told FNL that about 95 of the people who showed up weren't parents at the school.
“I haven’t seen a rally like this in Windsor ever. It was very moving,” Fudge said. “We took the signs and met all the kids coming into school, and you should have seen their faces light up.”
One banner, signed by the students of Windsor Middle School, read: “There are no walls in Windsor,” written in both English and Spanish.
“When we were out there, we were all there,” Fudge said. “Police are investigating. We don’t know if it was teens or adults, but I’m betting it was an adult. Ultimately, [the graffiti] brought the community together and made us stronger.”
The Cali Calmecac principal, Jeanne Acuña, says she's lucky to have waterproof mascara, because the show of support has been so heartwarming.
“The graffiti spoke more to parents than the students. We want to protect our children. The janitor was great about getting it down quickly," Acuña told FNL.
“I’ve had an artist coalition from Oakland contact me to paint a mural on the wall where the graffiti was. It's been such an outpouring of support from the community," she said.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/group-rallies-in-support-of-latino-students-after-school-defaced-with-border-wall-graffiti