Last Friday, roughly 35 Quakertown high school students staged a walk out to protest ICE raids across the country. The demonstration, intended as a peaceful exercise of First Amendment rights, resulted in a contentious and physical altercation.
Widely circulated videos of Quakertown Police Chief and Borough Manager Scott McElree show him restraining a student in a chokehold. According to police, some students began throwing snowballs and damaging property. They also accused students of blocking traffic.
Witnesses disputed this story, with one telling ABC News “The situation was completely escalated by the police, and it was extremely jarring to watch.” In total, five students were arrested and are still being held in custody.
During a scheduled borough council work session on Monday night, Feb. 23, concerned citizens packed the room to share their frustration and anger about the situation, along with calls for McElree to be fired or resign. Outside Quakertown Borough Hall, protesters stood for over half an hour showing their support for the students…