Dueling protesters gathered Friday outside a North Hollywood elementary school that became the center of a hate crime investigation after a LGBTQ+ flag was burned earlier this week.
Heightened security, including Los Angeles Police Department officers, was in place at a protest over a Pride Month recognition on the campus of Saticoy Elementary School. The protesters, some wearing shirts that read "Leave Our Kids Alone," carried signs featuring the same phrase and others, including "No Sexualizing Our Kids," "Our Protest Is Against LAUSD," and "Parental Choice Matters."
On the other side of the street, protesters waved pride flags and played music.
At least two scuffles in the crowds were captured on camera, but it was not immediately clear whether anyone was injured or arrested.
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The Pride assembly on Friday is expected to include a reading of a book called "The Great Big Book of Families," which highlights diversity. The illustrated book, written by children's book author Mary Hoffman, is described by the publisher as a "celebration of the diverse fabric of kith and kin the world over."
Parents can request that their children not attend the program, according to the district.
"There is no sex education specific to the book that's being read today," Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said Friday outside the school. "The book portrays a reality that is not only common, but is real to our kids.
Carvalho said the book was approved by the school district.
"I think there's fairly good awareness as to what the book represents (and) what the book does not represent," Carvalho said. "But as I said, people today easily pick political sides and decide to stick to the political sides, while to a certain extent ignoring the reality and the truth. So there's general awareness as to what the book represents.''
Parents opposed to the Pride event created an Instagram page to express displeasure with the move and called for parents to keep their kids home from school on Friday. The concerns expressed by protesting parents has led to accusations of bigotry and intolerance. Tensions intensified this week after a small Pride flag that was on display outside a campus classroom was burned sometime during the weekend of May 20-21, prompting a hate crime investigation by police.
Organizers of the parent protest denied any involvement with the flag-burning. They have also insisted that the protest is not founded in intolerance or bigotry -- rather in the belief that parents should have the right to decide when to discuss the topic of LGBTQ+ pride with their children.
"We stand with (the) LGBTQ community in solidarity," a message posted on the organizers' Instagram page proclaimed Thursday. "Our protest is against LAUSD. In elementary schools, kids should learn math, English, science.
"We want to reiterate that our protest is in no way an attack on the LGBTQ community. We recognize the importance of promoting equality and acceptance for all individuals. Our intention is to raise the parents voices in wanting a say in when this topic is discussed with our kids."
Renato Lira, director of the San Fernando Valley LGBTQ Center, told the Daily News that volunteers with the organization also plan to be at the campus Friday in a show of support for LGBTQ+ teachers and parents at the school.
The protest organizers also posted repeated messages calling on protesters to be peaceful, calm and respectful.
The Los Angeles Unified School District, however, indicated that security will be beefed up around the campus Friday.
"Out of an abundance of caution, the Los Angeles School Police Department will be providing additional patrols around the campus," according to the district. "The safety of our students and our staff remains our top priority."
