Seattle City Council to Consider Supporting Student Walkout for Gun Reform

Garfield High students, ol' pros at protesting, during a student walkout in November of 2016. Jen Graves

We talk all the time about meaningless resolutions passed by the Seattle City Council, but it is noteworthy when elected officials publicly support young people's protests—especially protests that break school rules.

This coming Wednesday, high school activists across the country, including here in Seattle, are planning on walking out of their classrooms at 10 a.m. to protest political inaction on gun reform. Today, the Seattle City Council will consider a resolution, proposed by Council Member Lorena González, in support of the action.

"The City Council and the Mayor urge Seattle Public Schools to support its students’ right to assemble and participate in the National School Walkout, on March 14, 2018, at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes to protest Congress’ inaction to end gun violence in our nation’s schools and communities," the proposed resolution reads. It also urges the state legislature to pick up gun legislation it failed to pass—specifically Senate Bill 6146, which would give local governments the ability to regulate firearms. (The Seattle Times editorial board rejected this idea.)

This isn't the first time elected officials have supported student and teacher activism in school. In late January, the Board of Directors for Seattle Public Schools issued a formal resolution supporting Black Lives Matter at School Week early last month.

González's resolution—which I'm just going to go out on a limb here and say will pass—will be discussed in Council at 2 p.m. today. But if support from their City Council isn't enough, (and if school admin gives 'em a hard time), student protesters always have the ACLU's protest guide to fall back on.