Carmen High School of Science and Technology students continue protests for beloved Room 11

A group of high school students in Milwaukee continued their second day of protesting at Carmen High School of Science and Technology.

They’re fighting to keep a multi-purpose classroom that houses their art and music programs, along with their library.

To the students protesting, room 11 isn’t just any old classroom.

They say it’s always been a safe space where they’ve been able to grow and express themselves, and everyone comes together.

 “It’s pretty devastating,” said Edwin Chiquito, a Carmen student. “It means a lot.”

Students from Carmen gathered outside their high school to protest, fighting to keep their beloved room 11.

 “MPS had sent someone over here to change the locks while we were in the room,” said Chiquito. “And that’s when everything kind of started.”

Room 11 is a multipurpose space that houses their library, music, and arts classes.

Carmen, along with ALBA, is housed within the same MPS building.

The district saying the space will now be used for ALBA.

 “We are not fighting for the classroom, we are fighting for the programs,” said Carmen student Alexandra Moreno. “If we don’t have the classroom, we don’t have the programs.”

Together they cut classes to march outside their school, and with parents at MPS central offices asking MPS officials to speak with them.

Demanding answers to a case study that was promised, but they say to never know the results.

 “We’re just asking for five minutes to find answers from MPS to see what’s going on,” said a Carmen student parent, Patricia De La Torre.

“We will not let them step all over us,” said Moreno. “We are deserving of an arts class, we are deserving of a music class, we are deserving of that space.”

In a statement MPS says they understand Carmen’s students’ disappointment, but are exploring options that satisfy programming for both schools.