SYDNEY, N.S. Hundreds of students and more than a dozen Cape Breton Regional Police officers made for a large crowd in front of Sydney Academy on Thursday during a student protest, about the school s dress code. A lineup of police stood guard in front of one of the school s doorways and the most fervent of protesters sat on the ground in front of them. Students say it all started when some girls came to school wearing crop-tops and were told they were in violation of the school s dress code. He dress coded us all and told us that it wasn t right, said student Brooklyn Wells.
Protesters kept out of school
About 30 students took part in the protest, while others hung around and waited for their lunch break to end.
At least nine officers had their backs to the entrance, keeping the protesters out of the school.
Magnus said police needed to create a barrier because they weren t sure initially what the students intended to do. We didn t know that when we were first called. We were just called to a large crowd with some agitated activity outside the school and just with that size of crowd and the emotions, it s unpredictable what can happen.
Some people have said police were enforcing a school dress code that is primarily aimed at girls, and sexualizes them.
Posted: Dec 10, 2020 8:28 PM AT | Last Updated: December 11, 2020
More than a dozen Cape Breton Regional Police officers responded to Sydney Academy at noon on Thursday as students protested the high school’s dress code.(Tom Ayers/CBC)
About 30 students protested outside Sydney Academy on Thursday after one of their own was sent home for breaking the high school s dress code.
More than a dozen police officers were on hand as the protesters sat or stood in front of the school over the lunch hour.
Grade 11 student Savonna Syliboy was among the protesters and said the student who was sent home had been wearing a cropped shirt that showed her midriff.