Students' peaceful immigration rights rally turns ugly

The students cheered as they marched down Main Street to Green Valley to Pennsylvania and back to Main where they struck a pose in front of City Hall.

Police from Watsonville, Santa Cruz and Capitola and sheriff's deputies from Monterey County lined the streets, blocked off traffic and did their best to keep the students safe and to keep them from causing any serious trouble. Police locked down City Hall where the students whipped the Mexican flag in circles above their heads, hung the American flag upside down and cheered and chanted "Si se puede" and "Mexico".

But what started as a peaceful rally about 10:30 a.m. turned ugly at several locations as the students threw bottles and fists. Hundreds defied police and continued their march back down Main to St. Patrick's Church and the courthouse. Eventually, after more than six hours, police were able to get the kids onto school buses and took the majority back to the Pajaro Valley High School where their photos and names were taken.

A couple students were arrested for refusing to get on the bus and there were a few minor injuries.

"In this case kids were just doing whatever and were all over," said Capt. Eddie Rodriguez of the Watsonville Police Department.

"It was just an opportunity for a lot of kids to act defiantly," said Rodriguez. Had the students gone back to school after their initial march, Rodriguez said no action would be taken, but when hundreds refused, police went into crowd control mode and came out in force.