• Around 5,000 Seattle students walk out, march to protest Trump

    Updated:
    Students from across the U.S. walked out of school Monday to protest the election of Donald Trump as President. Around 5,000 students from Seattle Public Schools' middle and high schools participated in the walk out, officials said Monday evening. 
     
     
    KIRO 7 was contacted by students at Edmonds Woodway High School, Renton High School, Interlake High School in Bellevue, and Foster High School in Tukwila. A notice from students at Chief Sealth in Seattle spoke of a planned walkout at 1:30 p.m.
     

    Seattle students walk out of classes, march around Seattle 

    KIRO 7 had a crew devoted to the coverage of several schools' protests, many of which met and merged at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle.
     
    Officials with Seattle Public Schools said they are steadfast in their support for all students. "While the protests are not sanctioned by the district, SPS students do have the right to peacefully demonstrate and express their personal views," SPS officials said in a statement. They also wrote that any time a student leaves school without permission, it is considered an unexcused absence.
     
    Real-time updates were added below.
    • 3:53 P.M. TUESDAY Police updated their earlier arrest announcement to say two individuals arrested during the protest were in fact Seattle Public Schools students (one 18-year-old and one 19-year-old). A third person arrested was 30 years old and not a student. 
    • 5:40 P.M. Two adult men (not Seattle Public Schools students) have been arrested for assaulting officers. Other than these two arrests, the demonstration remains peaceful, Seattle police say.
    • 5:17 P.M. Protesters continue to march through the city as Seattle grows dark. Chopper 7 is still live about the marching group. Watch livestream here.
    • 4:44 P.M. Chopper 7 video live above the scene shows a smaller group of protesters still marching in downtown Seattle. Watch KIRO 7 News at 5 p.m. for live coverage and a thorough report.
    • 3:47 P.M. A new estimate from Seattle Public Schools projects over 5,000 participating high and middle school students from 20 area schools. 
    • 3:31 P.M. Close to 4,500 students from 14 different high and middle schools have participated in the walk-out, according to Seattle Public Schools officials.
    • 3:21 P.M. The group that had gathered at Westlake is moving again. Seattle transportation officials advise drivers should expect delays around the city. 
    • 3:10 P.M. A group from the U-District neighborhood is currently marching downtown. Some protesters have arrived at Westlake Park. Traffic on related roadways are affected intermittently as the group moves through.
    • 2:45 P.M. The group of students at Cal Anderson Park plan to march to Westlake Park around 4 p.m. KIRO 7's Graham Johnson is with the protesters on Capitol Hill and says much of the group is composed of young people not yet old enough to vote, who have a stake in the future.
    • 2:40 P.M. King County Metro sent out a transit alert. "Transit customers in the greater Seattle area are advised to be prepared for the possibility of delays or temporary bus reroutes if streets are blocked by rallies or marches that could occur Monday afternoon."
    • 2:19 P.M. Chopper 7 shows a large group of students flooding Seattle roadways amid protest. Watch live.
    • 1:59 P.M. Garfield High School students marching to meet with other schools in mass walk-out.

    Protest Monday afternoon at UW

    Social media posts showed students gathered outside at the University of Washington campus.
     
     
    "Good turnout at the @uofwa walkout," Instagram user James Robert Campbell wrote.
    Another Instagram user shared a shot of the crowd, saying UW students were assembling in front of the giant "what you care about can change the world" banner.
     

    Morning protest at Edmonds-Woodway

    More than 100 students at Edmonds-Woodway walked out at 8:20 a.m., saying they were united against hate. They marched to the civil rights anthem "We shall overcome."
     
    Students at the walkout said it was not just about President-elect Trump, but also about elements of his campaign they want to highlight.
     
    "I think it's very important that we're here together and we unite as family and friends, because this affects every single person in America," said Edmonds Woodway student Khalia.
     
    The students holding signs reading "Love Trumps hate" and "No to bigotry" said they feel they were sending a positive message.
     
    "It's amazing how it started off with just the election, and it's like, we're here to show everyone no matter who you are, no matter what you do, there's people who love you," said Edmonds Woodway student Emerald.
     
    The walkout, which started with a rally on campus, was largely calm. There are about 1,500 students at at the school.
     
    Edmonds School District spokeswoman Debbie Joyce Jakala says the district supports the students' first amendment rights.
     
    "The district does not condone protests or walkouts, if the students are gathered for a short period of time, we'll supervise it and keep an eye on it," said Jakala.
     
    As they got support from passing drivers,  the students told us they feel emboldened to make their voices heard for years to come.
     
    "In the long run, I'm not going to be in school forever, but I will be dealing with this forever, so it's important to fight now and throw my voice," said Khalia.

    It is not yet known if students who walk out will be disciplined, but Seattle's school district officials say they are aware of the plan and said "students do have the right to peacefully demonstrate and express their personal views."

     

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