Marist Cancels School Friday Due to Threat of Black Lives Matter Protest

CHICAGO, IL - Marist High School has cancelled school on Friday.

Not because it’s Veterans Day, but because of the planned Black Lives Matter Youth protest that is scheduled to conclude at the edge of school property.

A Marist spokeswoman confirmed Thursday afternoon that the school will not hold classes on Friday after conferring with the Chicago Police Department and 19th Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea.

Plans from the BLM Youth group include meeting at Millennium Park downtown around noon and taking CTA buses until they arrive at the Marist campus on the Far South Side of the city.

The protest is called partly in response to the Mount Greenwood neighborhood’s perceived racist response to the police shooting of 25-year-old Joshua Beal on Saturday and partly in response to a racist text message allegedly sent by one of its students.

The decision to not hold classes Friday was made after reviewing the matter internally as well.

Related: Petition Seeks to Overturn Expulsion of 5 Marist Students Over Racially Charged Text Message

Patch file photo