It’s not the ‘70s, but that doesn’t mean the city doesn’t play host to a good, old-fashioned protest every now and then.

Yesterday morning, students at César Chávez Middle School and Aztlán Academy, located in the former Southgate Shopping Center near South Sixth Avenue and Interstate 10, arrived at the school to find the doors had been chained shut.

There was no note and no warning, students and school officials said.

“There were chains on the door and we had to tear them down,” said Yesenia Perez, 17, a student at Aztlán Academy.

So, after a brief meeting between staff and students, they took to the streets — er, sidewalk.

Students of César Chávez Middle School and Aztlán Academy protesting along South Sixth Ave.

Eighth grader, John Godoy, joins his fellow classmates in protest of Red Mountain Retail’s Group decision to chain the school’s doors.
Photos taken by Lourdes Franco Galaz, a tutor at the schools.

The protest lasted from about 2:30 to 4 p.m., when school ended.

The alternative charter schools, which operate as part of César Chávez Learning Community Inc. began in 1999 and presently have about 165 students, aged 11-18 years.

“This is the third place we’ve been, so we already feel like gypsy kids trying to find a home,” said Sister Judy Bisignano, a Catholic nun who serves as director of the two secular schools.

Both César Chávez and Aztlán Academy have struggled over the years with performance ratings. In 2005 they were even in jeopardy of having their charters and state funding revoked.

The Arizona State Board for Charter Schools granted them a reprieve and placed the schools under probation. In October, a state report identified César Chávez Middle School among six charter schools labeled as underperforming.

And what of Red Mountain?

The Calif.-based property managers oversee the center — since renamed City South Plaza — for owners 88 Tampa LLC and HPSC I LLC, which bought it last year for $5.6 million.

As recently as June of this year, representatives at Volk Co., announced plans to renovate the buildings and recruit new tenants.

Already, Los Angeles-based La Curacao, an appliances and electronics retailer, confirmed it would be opening a new store just west of City South Plaza by the fall of 2008. Once open, it would provide a small economic boost to the area in the form of 200 jobs.

Renderings on Red Mountain’s site depict what is essentially the center now, but with a minor face-lift. A fictional store, Susie’s Deals, stands in place of what is now César Chávez.

Photo from Red Mountain Retail Group.

As of 5 p.m., school officials had received notice that they would be permitted to remain in the building until Dec. 22 of this year — the end of the fall semester.

After that, it’s moving time.