LA teachers arrested in job cut protests

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Dozens of Los Angeles teachers and a union leader were arrested Friday as educators took to the streets to protest looming job cuts, authorities said.

Around 40 teachers and union president AJ Duffy were arrested after staging a demonstration outside the Los Angeles Unified School District's headquarters in the city's downtown neighborhood.

"We're being arrested to send a message to the district and the city that they have the money ... parents are going to be upset when they go to school next year and classrooms are 50 and 60 kids," Duffy said as he was led away.

Protesters were detained for blocking a public street, Los Angeles Police Department Officer April Harding said.

The targeted protests were held after the Los Angeles school board voted last month to authorize thousands of job layoffs as part of a bid to close an estimated 600 million dollar budget deficit.