HOUSTON -- Students at Jack Yates Senior High School say their campus is not safe and felt compelled to do something.
"We have violent activities going on, on an almost daily basis," student Ross Steward said.
Many of the students claimed gangs are the root of it.
"They're walking around on corners, throwing up gang signs, and we go to school with those people," said sophomore Krevianyana Waring.
Some parents say their kids are now calling for protection.
"What they're asking for is two additional police officers on this campus every day. Why? Because there's a fight every single day at this school," parent Gary Monroe said.
From the street, staff could be seen keeping other students from leaving. But at one point that stopped as the school was evacuated.
Two times during the protest, fire trucks rolled in. They were both false alarms.
At the same time, some alumni defended Yates.
"The element of what people are talking about, you got bad elements everywhere. So that goes whether you're here in Third Ward or Bellaire. That's everywhere," Marcus Brooks said.
In a statement Holly Huffman, a spokeswoman for HISD, wrote: "We have strong monitoring systems in place that allow officials to keep a close eye on students, and we are working together to ensure everyone feels safe and teaching and learning continue, uninterrupted."
