Groups including Washington State Unite, The Revolutionary Student Union of King County, and student groups at the University of Washington and Evergreen College say they have organized a “statewide walkout” Tuesday morning with rally points across Washington including Cal Anderson Park calling for the end of U.S. aid to Israel and for the end of the Israeli occupation of Gaza.
“We the students of Seattle refuse to turn a blind eye to the atrocities that Israel and the U.S. commits every day! Being silent is being complicit in these crimes against humanity,” the message from @wawalkoutforpalestine promoting the Capitol Hill rally reads. “On April 23rd at 10:30 am, walk out of class and meet at Cal Anderson Park at 11:45 am. Bring posters. There we’ll have speakers and educational pamphlets.”
While it is unclear how many students may join the protest, some of the organizing groups have also been involved in recent demonstrations that brought attention to the conflict in Gaza while making headlines around blocked roads and snarled traffic. Law enforcement response to the demonstrations has so far been mostly peaceful with arrests to clear roadways and streets. 46 protesters were charged in one of the most recent rallies that blocked traffic outside Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Seattle Public Schools had not issued any alerts or updates to families about a walkout as of Tuesday’s morning’s first bells.
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Wow I really hope people who do protests should be very safe.
This was what was sent to me by SPS Communications when I reached out (I write/moderate the Seattle Schools Community Forum blog):
A statement from Seattle Schools spokeperson, Bev Redmond:
We have received several reports of Seattle Public Schools students planning to take part in a statewide, student-led walkout tomorrow. The protest is expected to be across college campuses and schools in response to the violence in Israel and Gaza.
SPS respects the rights of students to express their views in a peaceful manner, including assembly and nonviolent protest.
It is important to clarify that a student-led walkout is not a school or district-sponsored event.
Steps for Families:
Families should talk with their student(s) about the potential walkout. Once students leave our campus for unsponsored events, SPS can no longer be responsible for their safety. Families seeking an excused absence may choose to submit a Civic Engagement Activity Form at least two days before their student’s planned absence. This is a districtwide policy. Details about the district policies about attendance can be found in School Board Policy 3121: Attendance Policy and Superintendent Procedure 3121 SP: Attendance.
Office of Student Civil Rights: Seattle Public Schools does not condone antisemitic or Islamophobic acts. Any student may contact our Office of Student Civil Rights to report concerns about bullying. Here is the webpage that provides information about this process and reporting forms.
The Evergreen State College, never Evergreen College