Seattle activists return to the streets of Seattle, this time in the South of the city. One group of demonstrators started at the Rainier Community Center while another group met at 23rd and Union in the Central District. The groups converged at Massachusetts St. and Rainier Ave. South after SPD attempted to prevent marching on Rainier Avenue. The more than 150 activists held the intersection for approximately 30 minutes before continuing to Rainier Ave. South and MLK Way where the protest held traffic for over an hour at the intersection as SPD looked on. Speakers ranged from children of color to elders in the community, neighbors to college students, all speaking of oppression and brutality in their communities. There were no known arrests.
From the Facebook event pages…
“This Saturday May 2nd is a National Day of Action for Black Lives Matter. Seattle is responding to this vital call from our Brothers and Sisters in Baltimore United and Ferguson Action networks; we will march in solidarity on Saturday as we confront the violence, injustices, and mistreatment that our own Black Community faces here at home by the Seattle Police Department. We are demanding justice for
#RekiaBoyd
#MayHall
#FreddieGrey
All of the Black victims who have been terrorized and murdered by the police.
This will be a space that is intended to commemorate, highlight, grieve, and celebrate Black Lives in our community. We encourage ALL peoples within the Black Community to attend, especially those who often are most marginalized. We also invite allies who are truly in support of calling out law enforcement that is brutally profiling and murdering our Black mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers- to march with us.
“We support all of our emotions, from our bliss to our anger to our grief…We acknowledge that our uprisings are being fueled by the love we have for ourselves and one another. A love that challenges silence, repression, and death.” – #BlackLivesMatter co-founder Patrisse Cullors-Brignac”
– https://www.facebook.com/events/763616517089415/
and
“Saturday May 2nd is a National Day of Action for Black Lives Matter in which cities across the nation will be confronting state violence against our people. We’re responding to an urgent call from our comrades in Baltimore United and Ferguson Action who are organizing with us under the Black Lives Matter network.
We stand with our brothers and sisters in Baltimore, Chicago and across the country. We demand justice for #FreddieGrey #RekiaBoyd #MyaHall and all victims of police terrorism.
Instead of flooding Baltimore, organizers have been asked to mobilize locally, so that’s what we’ll continue to do.
BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors-Brignac described the radical Black love of these uprisings well by explaining:
“Black people, we are fully deserving of the room and space to fully express our humanity. That is what #BlackLivesMatter is truly about. We support all of our emotions, from our bliss to our anger to our grief…We acknowledge that our uprisings are being fueled by the love we have for ourselves and one another. A love that challenges silence, repression, and death.”
The Dignity Virus 