Last Saturday, Rich Smith reported that board members with Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County (BLMSKC) have called for a statewide general strike and silent protest march on Friday, June 12. He noted that, "BLMSKC has made it very clear that it's had no part in organizing any of the demonstrations against police brutality that have taken place across Washington over the last eight days, and BLMSKC board member Ebony Miranda said they have not taken this decision lightly." The BLMSKC website further explains, "Our chapter has made it very clear that we don’t want to put people at risk in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. So for those who can’t participate in a physical gathering, we urge you to participate in the general strike and in actions that we post online throughout the day." In light of that, Friday's event will be two-pronged.

The Silent March will start assembling at Judkins Park at 1 pm, with the actual marching beginning at 2 and taking a 2-mile route to Jefferson Park via 23rd Ave S. The organizers note that they expect this to take 90 minutes or more, and have listed out additional health and safety precautions (as well as donation requests, and additional statewide marches) here. 

If you can't march, BLMSKC encourages you to strike: take the day off and spend the time familiarizing yourself with elected officials. They write, "It’s up to you to make sure your local officials feel the pressure to improve police accountability and dismantle the structural racism that has been built into all of our institutions."

Many Seattle restaurants will also close today in solidarity with the strike. See our current list of closures here.