Anti-mask protests force 3 schools into lockdown

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — Three schools in Vancouver, Washington, were placed in lockdown Friday after anti-mask protesters tried to access school ground.

Pat Nuzzo, communications director for Vancouver Public Schools, said the lockdowns were a safety precaution.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reports Patriot Prayer, a far-right extremist group, and other far-right activists made posts online incorrectly claiming a student at the school who did not want to wear a mask would face arrest if they entered school grounds.

School board president Kyle Sproul said locking down Skyview High School, Alki Middle School and Chinook Elementary was the proper decision to ensure student safety.

“Regardless of one’s stance on mask mandates, I think most parents in our community agree that protesting at our school campuses and disrupting the school day is not in the best interest of students,” Sproul said.