Those are some of the 1,100 peace flags that West Seattle Indivisible volunteers had just finished assembling and decorating when we stopped by the High Point Library meeting room at noon today. They’ll be distributed to everyone who shows up to be part of a “human banner” next Sunday morning at the Harbor Avenue Pier 1 property. Here’s the explanation/invitation that WSI sent us:

West Seattle Indivisible is celebrating the International Day of Peace, observed around the world each year on September 21. Established in 1981 by United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.

(Simulation)

To this end, you are invited to help us form a ‘human banner’ to spell out PEACE FOR ALL along the West Seattle waterfront! We are creating a beautiful image with the skyline of Seattle as our background, to share around the world. Everyone is invited to be part of this banner; the way it works is that we’ll have a thousand flags stencilled with the image of a dove, and chalk lines for the letters on the ground. At the signal, we all take our places on the lines, holding our banners above our heads and waving. Photographers will take our picture with Seattle in the background.

We’ll meet at 2130 Harbor Ave SW, between Salty’s and Jack Block Park, Sunday morning, September 21. We plan to have music, inspirational speakers, and a thousand people demonstrating for peace.

Please sign up so we get a head count for planning (and for us to email the picture afterward):

Already preparations are underway. Here’s our team laying out the letters ….

The site is privately owned, known as Pier 1, and a WSI spokesperson tells WSB that the land owner has given their permission for this gathering. The event is set to start at 8:30 am, and a separate media advisory lists these expected speakers:

Hamdi Mohamed, Port of Seattle Commissioner (Event MC)
Mayor Bruce Harrell
Malou Chavez, Executive Director, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
Rev. Andrew Conley-Holcom, Admiral UCC
Irene Danysh, Development Officer, Ukrainian Catholic University