After the Bolívar all-boys school was ordered by a judge to allow 8 girls to enter, angry parents of Bolívar students have blocked the girls from entering. Yesterday the confrontation grew so violent that 20 riot police were required to restore ordered. “They hit us and insulted us, but we will still push forward,” said one of the 8 girls trying to attend classes. A street fight broke out at the door of the school with boys’ parents attacking girls’ parents, school authorities and journalists. The police fired tear gas into the crowd and cordoned off the school.
Several boys from Bolívar have expressed their support for the girls attending. The eight tried to enter to attend their classes accompanied by Cochabamba’s Children’s Defender and the Municipal Gender Equality Director, Raquel Melgar, when Melgar was attacked by one of the Bolívar boys’ mothers.
“Here is a subject of gender discrimination and what they have done with me is physical aggression and assault on an authority. In this instant I will file a lawsuit against the woman that assaulted me,” said Melgar. The twenty police escorted the girls away from the angry throng. The school regent, Fernando Gantier, received a blow to the head that left him on the ground. The Public Defender, Edwin Claros, explained that the girls are already legally enrolled in classes at Bolívar and must be allowed to safely attend. Angry boys’ parents accused the press of not telling the truth and cut the cable of a Red ATB TV camera, pushed journalists, and opened umbrellas so that the media could not see the 8 girls being forced out of the school. More public officials are expressing support for the 8 girls but they are still unable to attend classes because of the violence from boys and their mothers and fathers.
http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/local/20120211/descontrol-en-el-bolivar-policia-custodiara_159993_334322.html
