LOS ANGELES, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Unionized teachers in Los Angeles demonstrated for an hour before school on Friday to protest potential layoffs.

    The teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) had planned to walk off from their drop the whole day, but a judge blocked their plan.

    Instead, the teachers marched in front of their schools before returning to work in time for classes, according to A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA).

    The union had called for a one-day work stoppage, but LAUSD officials went to court Tuesday and won a restraining order preventing teachers from striking. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Chalfant cited student health and safety as the reasons for granting the order.

    Duffy said teachers who walk out of work in violation of Chalfant's order could face fines of 1,000 dollars each and possibly lose their teaching credentials.

    "Responsible leadership acts responsibly," Duffy said in response to the ruling. "I could not, in all good conscience, hold the teachers up to thousands of dollars in fines and the revocation of their credentials for defying a court order."

    In addition to the one-hour protest, the union is planning an after-school rally outside LAUSD headquarters, along with a 10 a.m. act of "civil disobedience," also at the LAUSD headquarters near downtown Los Angeles.

    LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines said he was pleased the union agreed to abide by the court order and call off the one-day strike.

    "We are united in our goal to educate our students," he said. "We have to start working together. A climate of us-versus-them hurts everyone, especially our students."

    LAUSD attorneys went back to court Thursday asking Chalfant to issue a more extended order, fearing the union's activities on Friday might violate his original directive. The judge, however, declined to issue any further rulings.

    Because of a budget shortfall, more than 2,500 teachers without tenure could lose their jobs July 1. In addition, hundreds of others could be bumped out of their current positions and onto other campuses. About 2,600 non-teaching employees also could lose jobs.

    The UTLA wants LAUSD to use as much federal economic stimulus money as necessary to avoid teacher layoffs in the 2009-2010 school year. District officials have apportioned about half of the money for the following year because of dire economic forecasts for California.