West Seattle, Washington
21 Thursday
Thanks to Alicia from the Louisa Boren STEM K-8 PTA for the photos. As previewed here, the PTA organized a demonstration this afternoon wrapping up Black Lives Matter at School Week.
Alicia reports that more than 50 students, family members, and staff participated. Delridge is torn up in front of their school, so they gathered along Sylvan Way, outside High Point Neighborhood House.
Alicia adds, “We enjoyed the honking horns and waves from passing cars!”
This is Black Lives Matter At School Week, and the first event announcement we’ve received is from the Louisa Boren STEM K-8 PTA, which invites you to join this distanced demonstration:
PTA-sponsored Black Lives Matter Demonstration
The STEM PTA is excited to sponsor a Black Lives Matter demonstration organized by the Black Student Union. STEM BSU would love for families to join us in the conclusion of our BLM week of action. We will be meeting at the High Point Neighborhood House between 2:30-4:00 Friday to lift an affirmative voice for Black lives. Come with uplifting signs or posters and join us as we celebrate the Black Lives Matter movement. Be sure to wear a mask and socially distance during this event. Parents are to remain with their children for the whole of the demonstration.
High Point Neighborhood House is at 6400 Sylvan Way SW [map].
Any other Black Lives Matter At School events in West Seattle? westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
If you were in The Junction early this afternoon, you might have seen members of West Seattle Neighbors for Peace and Justice at multiple corners of California/Alaska (including the two in our photo). They say not enough people know about the international nuclear-weapons ban that has just taken effect. They were handing out this explanation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The United Nations initiated the treaty in 2017, to take effect on January 22, 2021 – this past Friday – if more than 50 countries ratified it. So far, more than 80 countries have signed on, with 52 ratifying the treaty – but the U.S. and other nuclear-armed nations are not among them … so far.
9:57 PM: Thanks for the tips. What was described as a parade of honking cars and yelling people is in North Delridge. According to scanner traffic, they’ve arrived in City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda‘s neighborhood. She chairs the council’s Budget Committee, and tomorrow the council is scheduled to finalize a budget. Advocates of police “defunding” are not pleased because the proposed cuts/changes aren’t anywhere near the 50 percent they want to see.
10:22 PM: Police are monitoring this and have just radioed that the group has since headed up Genesee to SB Avalon.
10:34 PM: Now they’re in Council President Lorena González‘s Junction neighborhood.
11:11 PM: A neighbor says they’ve moved on.
11:23 PM: Scanner confirms what a commenter said – they’re now in Highland Park, Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s neighborhood. (All three of the West Seattle-residing councilmembers had been visited by protesters earlier this year, when the focus was on “rebalancing” the budget.)
12:20 AM: Per SPD on Twitter, they’ve moved on. Police also tweeted this video from the earlier Junction arrival
Now northbound on 44th Ave SW from SW Oregon St. pic.twitter.com/aUdEaKHM9N
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) November 23, 2020
First, thanks for the tips on this:
PROTEST TONIGHT: “Override/for Black lives’ was the chant of that group outside City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s house in Highland Park this evening. That’s a reference to a decision the council has to make soon – whether to override Mayor Jenny Durkan‘s veto of three recent bills, including the budget-rebalancing bill with Seattle Police budget cuts. Council President Lorena González noted earlier this month that the law requires the council to reconsider vetoed legislation, while saying that wouldn’t happen sooner than next Monday (September 21st). About a dozen people were gathered when we stopped by after reader tips.
The group sponsoring this, the Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites, is not the same group that visited Herbold’s house twice before as well as other elected officials in West Seattle and elsewhere in the city; that’s the Every Day March. That group does have a West Seattle event coming up this weekend:
PROTEST SATURDAY: If you haven’t seen this in our calendar (which we’re slowly reviving) – the Every Day March group has announced a Youth March on Alki this Saturday (September 19th), gathering at Alki Playfield/Whale Tail Park at 1 pm. From the announcement:
“We fight every single day for a better future for our youth. Which is why we’ve decided to do a kid-friendly march to get our youth involved! … We have planned the safest march down the Alki strip for the youth to lead.”
Just outside Westwood Village this afternoon, QFC workers who are members of UFCW Local 21 demonstrated in support of “hazard pay” for themselves and other “essential workers.” It’s a national week of action on that topic, according to the union, which says QFC’s parent corporation Kroger “cut hazard pay” by mid-May. They are also advocating for the right to wear Black Lives Matter buttons on the job:
The union says stores have an inconsistent policy on the buttons and that some workers have been told not to wear them. Community members who heard about this came to this afternoon’s protest to show support:
We’re checking with the company on both issues.
8:46 PM: For the eighth time in about a month, the Seattle Evening March protesters are in West Seattle. Last time their daily march was here, they walked from Westwood Village to the Southwest Precinct. Before that, they visited city and county elected officials. Tonight, the group gathered at 44th and Oregon and just headed out of the lot yet. Here’s a stream.
9:04 PM: They are currently on Genesee Hill.
9:20 PM: The march has reached its destination, which they say is the home of Seattle Police Officers Guild president Mike Solan.
9;50 PM: If he’s home, he hasn’t come out to speak with the group (in their previous WS marches, they have talked to three city councilmembers – two of them twice – and the county executive).
9:55 PM: The group has left, headed back toward The Junction.
9:58 AM: That’s one of the signs Ruth says you’ll see at the Westwood Village Post Office (2721 SW Trenton) at 11 am today. She just sent word of a protest planned there as part of the nationwide “day of action,” with USPS supporters rallying outside post offices at 11 am local time. (The nationwide lookup doesn’t [yet] show any planned events in West Seattle.)
12:10 PM: We went to WWV about half an hour ago to see how it turned out:
In the other Washington today, the U.S. House is considering a bill that would reverse some recent USPS changes.
2:12 PM: Just learned that a group gathered at the Post Office in The Junction, too.
Thanks to Alison for sending the photo!
8:53 PM: The protest group that’s been in West Seattle multiple recent nights, taking the Evening March to elected officials’ homes, is in the area again tonight, this time gathering at and heading out from Westwood Village. They have at least one streamer with them, so you should be able to watch the Seattle Protest Network stream.
9:16 PM: The group is now northbound on Delridge Way.
9:37 PM: The group is approaching the Southwest Precinct. In the nearby residential neighborhoods, their chanting focused on gentrification.
9:50 PM: They’ve gathered outside the precinct, in the plaza … writing on the pavement. The leaders told supporters not to damage anything. You’ll recall the precinct’s windows were boarded up weeks ago; the boards have since been painted black.
10:30 PM: Chalked messages cover the window boards by the precinct’s public entrance; streamers are showing some of them, including the names of people killed by police. They’re also spelling SUMMER in flower petals and tealight candles, after Summer Taylor, a group member killed during a protest earlier this summer. (added) The previous stream link has moved on to Portland, so if you’re interested in the Southwest Precinct demonstration, it’s still on ConcreteReporting.com.
11:15 PM: The group is leaving the precinct.
(Aerial photo courtesy Paul Weatherman)
It’s been 2 1/2 months since West Seattle photographer Paul Weatherman took that aerial photo of the June 6th Black Lives Matter protest in The Junction; we featured it in our coverage. But today, it’s turning up on some social-media feeds, mislabeled and uncredited. This first came to our attention last night when a reader pointed out that President Trump had retweeted someone’s tweet claiming the photo was from a protest about mail-in voting:
(Screengrab from our phone last night)
Though the original tweet was apparently meant as a joke – for one, our state has had mail-in voting for years, and for two, the tweeting account describes itself as humorous – the presidential retweet drew corrections, pointing out the photo had appeared in our June story.
We mentioned all this on the WSB Twitter account last night and were just going to leave it at that until we got an inquiry this morning from an organization identifying itself as a “Facebook fact-checking partner.” The email noted that the tweet has been reposted on THAT platform, and they wanted to verify the actual source/truth of the photo. So we thought we had better make a note here too.
9:07 PM: The Everyday March activist group’s Evening March is back in West Seattle tonight, sixth time in a little more than two weeks. On July 24th and August 3rd, they went to City Councilmember Lisa Herbold‘s home in Highland Park; July 27th, to Council President Lorena González‘s home in The Junction; July 30th, to County Executive Dow Constantine‘s home in west Admiral; August 2nd, to City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda‘s home in North Delridge. Each of those nights, the elected officials came outside and spent up to an hour talking with the march’s leaders, mostly about police “defunding.” Tonight is the eve of the City Council’s final vote on initial cuts to the SPD budget (nowhere near the 50 percent this group and others want). We don’t yet know tonight’s destination, but the Evening March asked participants – including the car and bike brigade that block traffic as they march – to meet at West Seattle High School, which they just left. Updates to come; if livestreamers are with them tonight, a stream is likely t turn up here.
9:17 PM: Chanting and drumming, the marchers and their car/bike escorts are southbound on California, inviting spectators ‘march with us.’
(Video courtesy John Bennett)
9:45 PM: Still southbound, approaching The Junction.
10 PM: They’re arriving in CM Gonzalez’s neighborhood now. (And yes, there’s a stream – follow the link above.)
10:08 PM: She has come out to speak with them, while cautioning that she’s feeling “a little under the weather.”
10:46 PM: They’re still talking, with the group seated on the ground and González on the stairs (for audio, you’ll have to switch over to the Evening March’s Instagram live feed), but it’s focused more on technicalities, from “out-of-order” layoffs to the consent decree to future SPD contract negotiators. …. A few minutes, it grows emotional as they berate her for not listening years earlier.
11:14 PM: After more than an hour, and other topics including education funding, the conversation has concluded. Organizers have told marchers they’ll caravan back in cars, rather than walking back to WSHS. (Added: One of tonight’s streamers, PCOMG, has the march video archived here – the conversation begins 1 hour in.)
8:53 PM: For the fifth time in 11 nights, the Evening March protest group is in West Seattle again tonight. Last night, they were in North Delridge, outside City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda‘s home; before that, dating back to Friday, July 24th, they’ve been to the homes of City Councilmembers Lisa Herbold in Highland Park and Lorena González in The Junction, as well as County Executive Dow Constantine in west Admiral. Each of those elected officials came out to talk with them. Tonight, they gathered at and just left from Highland Park Elementary, which might mean a return to Herbold’s home. A livestreamer with them is being featured here. Updates to come.
9:13 PM: They’ve been winding through side streets, cars and marchers, about 100 strong per tonight’s streamer. Headed toward 9th/HP Way south of Holden.
9:22 PM: They are at Herbold’s house and she is coming out to talk with them – for the second time in a week and a half.
9:42 PM: She’s seated on the pavement talking with the group’s leaders. Main topic is what happened when armed neighbors blocked them from going to SPD Chief Carmen Best‘s house in Snohomish last Saturday night. (added) Herbold noted that in her work as a community organizer in other states many years ago, she had organized protests at the homes of “people in power.”
10:03 PM: The conversation turned to the council’s proposed SPD cuts/changes and Herbold is explaining why they can’t cut as drastically and quickly as activists want. (added) As other councilmembers have told the group, the process of determining next year’s budget starts in six weeks, and that’s where they might be able to do more.
10:24 PM: The conversation has wrapped up.
10:55 PM: They’re now marching back to the school, where they started the evening. (Cars and bikes caravan with them.)
ADDED: Here’s the video that Malcontentment Tango streamed, including the conversation with Herbold.
(WSB photo)
9:44 PM: The Evening March – a group that protests somewhere in Seattle every night – is back in West Seattle for the fourth time in 10 nights. They’ve gone to the homes of Councilmembers Lisa Herbold and Lorena González and County Executive Dow Constantine; all three came out to talk with the group. This time they’re in North Delridge, talking with Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who chairs the Select Budget Committee, which meets again tomorrow morning to continue discussing police-budget cuts.
10:21 PM: They’re still talking with her – you can see it live here. The protest leaders expressed disappointment that the council isn’t proposing a full 50 percent cut for this year; Mosqueda says they’re trying to do what they can but it does not seem possible, while she has reminded them that the budget cycle for next year starts in six weeks.
10:40 PM: The conversation has wrapped up after almost an hour. Tomorrow’s Budget Committee meeting is set to start around 10 am; the potential SPD-budget amendments, including the ones discussed Friday, are here. Online registration for public comment (via web or phone) starts at 8 am; the process is explained here.
9 PM: Back on Monday night, we covered a protest – the Every Day March – as participants rallied outside Madison Middle School and marched south to City Council President Lorena González‘s neighborhood in The Junction, where she came out to talk with them. Tonight, the group is back in West Seattle – thanks for the tips that they were gathering at Bar-S Playfield in Alki. Last night they went to Councilmember Andrew Lewis‘s neighborhood in Queen Anne; this time, they might be headed to Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda‘s neighborhood in West Seattle. We’ll be updating. (You can also look for a stream here.)
(Photo by Mike Jensen – marchers’ advance bicyclists blocking Alki ahead of them)
9:30 PM: They are eastbound on Alki Avenue.
(Photo by Colin, from comments)
10:02 PM: Texter says they’re now on Admiral Way, uphill from Alki.
10:33 PM: As commenters point out, the march is in King County Executive Dow Constantine‘s west Admiral neighborhood.
10:37 PM: He’s now speaking with them, about juvenile justice/incarceration.
11:04 PM: The conversation has concluded.
11:45 PM: We returned to HQ but have been monitoring via the stream (linked above). They’re on the move again. For context on the conversation with Constantine: The county’s new juvenile detention center has been a target of the “No New Youth Jail” movement for years. He recently announced that he wants to see it phased out by 2025, though this group wants that to happen now. He said he set the 2025 date as a way of “challenging the actors in the system” to make that change possible, describing the ‘actors” as judges, prosecutors, public defenders, etc. They challenged him to go into the facility and meet the youth who are held there.
9:52 PM: Thanks for the tips. We are at Madison MS, where a group of protesters is headed south, in vehicles and on foot, after rallying. We are trying to find out if this is the same group that’s been going to City Councilmembers’ houses late at night. Updates to come.
10:13 PM: The protesters are headed toward The Junction, where Council President Lorena González lives, though we don’t know if that’s where they were headed.
We asked about their destination as they were leaving Madison, but they would not answer, and told our photographer to leave. We drove ahead of what we guessed would be their route. They have chanted “Whose lives matter? Black lives matter” and calls for Mayor Jenny Durkan to resign.
10:28 PM: They’re now on California passing Genesee, SB. We count about 40 on foot, plus vehicles.
10:36 PM: As they continue down California, one man broke away to yell at an apartment building that everyone should call the council about Wed’s big budget meeting. (SPD-related proposals will be on the agenda).
10:42 PM: The group has turned off California and is now in the councilmember’s neighborhood.
11:27 PM: González just spent about half an hour talking with and listening to the group. “Thank you for bringing the action to me.” she told them.
11:50 PM: Now that we are back at HQ, we are adding photos and a few more notes. González expressed support for the group, reiterated that SPD cuts will be on the table when the council meets Wednesday as the Select Budget Committee, and said this is the time for community members to let councilmembers know what they want to see. She also urged involvement in the participatory budget process next year.
ADDED WEDNESDAY NIGHT: A reader provided this video of most of the dialogue between Councilmember González and the protesters:
All from the WSB inbox (thank you!)
DISCUSSION – ’13TH’: If you’ve seen Ava DuVernay‘s film “13th,” or have time to watch it (above) before 8 pm tonight, Admiral Church is hosting an online discussion – get the link here.
DEMONSTRATIONS: Scott from Puget Ridge Cohousing, partnering with Hate-Free Delridge, is organizing two more streetcorner demonstrations this week, this time at 16th and Holden, 4-6 pm Tuesday and Thursday: “Come show support for BLM and ending systemic racism. Hold signs, meet neighbors and stand for racial justice. Signs available.”
BAKERS AGAINST RACISM: Baked in The Admiral District is selling a selection of treats to raise money for Black Lives Matter SKC and Creative Justice. Pre-order through tomorrow, curbside pickup (2604 California SW) Saturday. Go here to order.
DISCUSSION/PRESENTATION: From West Seattle Democratic Women chair Karen Chilcutt:
This Thursday July 23rd, West Seattle Democratic Women will hold its second in a series of three meetings on Racism. It’s an evening meeting via Zoom from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm. We’ll complete our first day’s focus on Ijeoma Oluo‘s book, So You Want To Talk About Race, begin determining just what Institutional Racism is and how to recognize it, and thirdly, will have Dr. Theresa McCormick, WSDW member and Professor Emeritus of Iowa State University (where she taught for 20 years multicultural and gender studies) speaking on “Then and Now, The Ebb and Flow of the Social Justice Movement”.
If you wish to register for the Zoom meeting to obtain Zoom codes or should you have questions, please email wsdwomen@yahoo.com or call Karen 206-920-2231. The deadline for registering is Thursday, July 23rd at 4:00 pm.)
Two previews in the ongoing community support for Black lives:
(Last Friday)(June photo)
OVERPASS VIGIL: It’s Friday, and organizers again invtte you to be part of this:
Please join us to show support for our Black friends, family, and neighbors, to #SayTheirNames, and remind each other that people are still suffering injustice.
What: #SayTheirNames
When: Friday, July 17th, from 5:30-6:30 pm
Where: Pedestrian overpass on Delridge at the Delridge Community Center/Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.Please remember to wear your masks!
JUNCTION MURAL WORK: Last month, we wrote about the plan for on-street Black Lives Matter mural art in The Junction. This Sunday, while the street is closed to vehicles for the West Seattle Farmers’ Market, the work begins at California/Alaska, with stenciling 10 am-2 pm. The project is led by West Seattle Artists for Social Justice; this update on the WS Art Walk website has more details, including how you can support the project.
(Texted photo)
3:30 PM: Thanks to everybody who let us know about this – Worldwide Rollout Day, human-powered anti-hate demonstrations around the globe. Among them – a Seattle group on wheels that headed from the Seacrest vicinity to Alki Statue of Liberty this past hour. More photos to come.
ADDED 5:27 PM: From our photographer:
And thanks to Carolyn Newman for this view from above:
(Seen in 4500 block of 40th SW)
Another Delridge overpass vigil later today. From organizer Nancy:
With the release of the transcripts from Mr. Floyd’s murder and the news he said he couldn’t breathe more than 20 times, it’s critical we continue to show up to stand up against racism.
Please join us to show support for our Black friends, family, and neighbors, to #SayTheirNames, and remind each other that people are still suffering injustice.
What: #SayTheirNames
When: Friday, July 10th, from 5:30-6:30 pm
Where: Pedestrian overpass on Delridge at the Delridge Community Center/Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
.
Please remember to wear your masks!We stand with Hate-Free Delridge and encourage you to join them on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30 to 6:30 pm at Delridge/Orchard
(Part of the #SayTheirNamesMemorial at Seacrest; photo by Stewart L.)
More than a month after the first streetcorner demonstrations in West Seattle as part of the nationwide movement to show support for Black lives, the demonstrations are continuing. The announcement is from Scott:
Tuesday, July 7, 4 to 6 p, corner of Delridge SW and SW Orchard
Thursday, July 9th, 4-6 p, corner Delridge SW and SW Orchard
Come show support for BLM and ending systemic racism. meet neighbors, and stand for racial justice. Scott at Puget Ridge Cohousing, endorsed by Hate-Free Delridge. Signs available.
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New on the fence by Seacrest – #SayTheirNamesMemorial. Thanks to the texter who sent these photos:
Carolyn also sent photos including this interpretive sign:
Searching the hashtag on Instagram brings up similar displays in Portland and Dallas.
Until about 5:30 pm, that #SayTheirNames show of support – as previewed here – continues on the Delridge/Oregon pedestrian/bicycle overpass.
WHAT’S NEXT: We received this announcement today from Hate-Free Delridge:
Hate-Free Delridge is again partnering with Scott and Puget Ridge Cohousing for two demonstrations next week:
Tuesday and Thursday, June 30 and July 2.
Where – The corner of 16th Ave. SW and SW Holden St. again.
Time – 4 pm to 6 pm
Bring your signs.
And your mask.
(Last Friday)
Another #SayTheirNames show of support on the Delridge/Oregon overpass this weekend – the announcement is from Nancy:
Please join us on the 51st anniversary of Stonewall to show support for our Black LGBTQ friends, family, and neighbors and to #SayTheirNames
What: #SayTheirNames
When: Sunday, June 28th, 4:30-5:30 pm
Where: Pedestrian overpass on Delridge at the Delridge Community Center/Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.
Please remember to wear your masks!
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