By Dan Spading
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — A student walkout and protest by an estimated 90 Warsaw High School students on Friday eventually led to the arrest of a counter-protester accused of striking an adult woman helping guide students across the street a block from the Kosciusko County Courthouse.
Friday’s protest was the latest at high school acrosss northern Indiana by students upset with actions by Immigration Custorms enforcement agents carrying out a federal immigration crackdown across the country.
Students started walking out of class at the start of the final period on Friday, but remained on the school campus until after classes ended.
The boisterous, clustered crowd, many carrying signs and yelling, headed down Union Street before turning east and then north toward the courthouse.
An adult woman supporting the protesters said she had been helping direct students cross Market Street at the corner of South Buffalo Street when a man began encouraging motorists to drive toward the students, which led her to start yelling at him.
The confrontation then escalated, and he allegedly lunged at her face and attempted to rip her eyeglasses and red knit cap off her head.
The attack damaged her glasses, and the woman told police he also spat in her face.
News Now Warsaw does not publish the names of victims.
The incident was witnessed by Brian Smith, Indiana’s Second District Democratic Party Chairman, who had been following the march along with some adult supporters and parents.
The man was quickly taken into custody, and a Warsaw Police officer returned to the protest site and talked to Smith and the woman.
Otherwise, the protest remained peaceful.
The incident did not slow down the march, which eventually circled the courthouse and Justice Building before heading down to Central Park and then returning to the courthouse square.
This story will be updated.
