Educators, parents, and students lined fauntleroy Way by Gatewood Elementary earlier this hour, in the first of two planned West Seattle protests this afternoon on the day of action called for by regional Black Lives Matter leadership.

The school community also wanted to show it’s undaunted despite the theft of a BLM support banner the PTA had placed along the fence.

Coming up at 2 pm, groups are planning to march silently, also in support of the BLM call, to The Junction from Morgan Junction and Alaska Junction. Meantime, more than 50 local businesses have closed to support the general strike that’s also happening today – our list is here.