During a protest yesterday at City Hall, members of the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization (KOCO) warned of a sit-in if they fail to get word of a scheduled meeting with the mayor within seven days to discuss proposed school closings.

Shannon Bennett is a KOCO lead organizer and local school council member at Price Elementary, which is on the city's list for shuttering next year. Saying that he is not provoking violence, Bennett stressed that the community group will not back down on their desire to be heard about their concerns surrounding the proposed school closings, turnarounds and consolidations.

"We want the man who makes decisions in the city to listen to his constituents," Bennett told the Sun-Times. "And we're not coming here half-cocked. We're coming here fully loaded. This is not a subtle threat. This is what we have to do to be heard."

KOCO is outraged about the plan to close one school, turnaround two schools, and phase out another school.