(UPDATED WEDNESDAY NIGHT: 13 schools represented below – Alki ES, Boren STEM K-8, Cascade MS, Chief Sealth IHS, Denny IMS, Evergreen HS, Fairmount Park ES, Gatewood ES, Hope Lutheran, Lafayette ES, Madison MS, Pathfinder K-8, West Seattle HS)
10:03 AM: Students at more than 3,000 schools around the country said they would be part of the #NationalStudentWalkout at 10 am local time today – advocating for gun-law reform, exactly one month after the high-school massacre that killed 17 people in Florida. Some of the local schools participating invited us to cover their walkouts. Our first photo above and video below are from Evergreen High School and Cascade Middle School in White Center. More to come.
17 seconds of silence. pic.twitter.com/RHESoZNjYC
— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) March 14, 2018
(WSB/WCN video)
ADDED 10:26 AM: The Evergreen and Cascade students headed back to class a few minutes ago. Over the next hour-plus, we’ll be adding photos and video, from there and elsewhere. Above, their 17 seconds of silence; they also had student speakers. Below, Alice Enevoldsen‘s video from West Seattle High School, as names of victims were read:
More to come from other local schools.
ADDED 11 AM: Above, students from Louisa Boren STEM K-8 lined up along Delridge Way outside the school. Below, Chief Sealth International High School and Denny International Middle School students gathered on the Southwest Athletic Complex field across SW Thistle:
Many held pieces of paper with photos of those killed in Florida.
(Above and below, WSB photos and video by Patrick Sand at CSIHS/Denny event)
Below, video of student Natalie Sailors speaking as the Sealth/Denny gathering began:
And the closing remarks from student Kameron Port:
He had sent us the Chief Sealth IHS United Cultural Coalition’s invitation to cover the walkout, saying, “We are pushing and advocating for more progressive and responsible firearm legislation in the wake of the recent events of Florida and other national tragedies. … It is important to let the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting know that we are walking out in solidarity, and standing with them in this fight. We will no longer deal with hearing about the change that this generation needs. We are the change! We will not let this happen again! We’re taking matters into our own hands, advocating for stricter gun-control laws and more mental-health resources for treating troubled peers.”
Elsewhere in West Seattle – also participating: Pathfinder K-8 on Pigeon Point:
Hope Lutheran School in The Junction:
(WSB photos by Christopher Boffoli at Madison event)
After a moment of silence outside the school, the Madison students formed a line and walked the sidewalk around the school, down the hill around back, and up to the front again.
ADDED 12:17 PM: While elementary schools weren’t planning full-scale walkouts, some parents had gatherings in solidarity with the walkout. This photo is from Linnea Westerlind, who says about 25 people associated with Gatewood Elementary, including a few students, gathered nearby:
And Erika Stromberg sent this photo of Lafayette Elementary students, parents, and grandparents walking along California SW for 17 minutes at 10 am:
Anyone else? editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!
ADDED 8:43 PM: Thanks to Melissa Fenno for this photo from the playfield fence outside Fairmount Park Elementary:
In each cup, she says, was a candle – 17, one for each Florida victim.
ADDED 11:55 PM: Add Alki Elementary to the list – thanks for the photo of the march past the playfield:
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