On Friday, Seattle City Councilmembers put forward a draft budget resolution that falls far short of the 50% demand to defund SPD. Many of the proposals are positive steps forward, like shifting 911 to a civilian-led department and creating a civilian-led Department of Community Safety in 2021, yet the proposal does not meet the movement's demands, instead pulling much of the funding for new community safety programs from other sources, not SPD. You can read details about the plan in Crosscut and the South Seattle Emerald. It’s disappointing that six of the seven Councilmembers who had previously pledged to defund SPD by 50% are now considering this proposal — and shows why we need more socialist and left-wing representatives on the City Council, who are firmly on the side of movements of working class and oppressed people.
But the fight is far from over. It has been the strength of the uprising for Black lives — all the marches, rallies, and outpouring of public support — that pressured these council members to commit to these demands in the first place. Now it’ll be up to our continued presence in the streets to pressure these council members to follow through on their pledge, and follow the plan for public safety laid out by Black-led community organizations, like Decriminalize Seattle and King County Equity Now.
Let’s increase the pressure!
Join the Take to the Streets, Defund the Police march and rally this Wednesday at 12pm, starting at the youth jail (12th and Alder) and marching to City Hall, presented by Decriminalize Seattle and King County Equity Now. Facebook event here and Instagram here. This event was previously scheduled for Monday, August 3, but has been moved to Wednesday, August 5th. We’ll see you there!
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING THIS TUESDAY!
Don’t miss this exciting business meeting on Tuesday, August 4th at 7PM! We’ll discuss and vote on important resolutions for the chapter, including our plans for continuing to engage in the uprising for Black lives, a Code of Conduct proposal, calling on Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race, and whether to call for a vote for Howie Hawkins in safe states.
Register here to attend the meeting and we’ll send you the Zoom link. You can find the details of the resolutions on Slack. If you’re not on Slack yet, just forward your welcome email from Maria Svart to [email protected] and we’ll get you signed up!
All are welcome to attend, and all members in good standing will be able to vote — you can join DSA here if you’re not yet a member! Click here to renew your dues.
CHECK OUT THE SDSA BLOG!
Check out our most recent blog post on the intersections of the movement for Black lives and climate justice, written by a member of SDSA’s Ecosocialist caucus, Lessons from the Movement for Black Lives: Strategies and Priorities for Environmentalists.
Do you have a blog submission? Submit your articles to [email protected].
In solidarity,
Seattle DSA
Time: August 3 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Venue: Online
The movement for Black lives forced 7 out of 9 Seattle city councilmembers to declare they support defunding the SPD by 50%. This is a big victory! However, some Democratic politicians, attempting to appease Seattle's ruling class, are trying to wiggle out of implementing what the movement for Black lives is fully demanding. Members of color are invited to join us at our weekly meeting every [Read More]
Time: August 4 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Venue: Online
Our August General Membership Meeting is a business meeting! Members have submitted resolutions and amendments for consideration and a vote by the general membership. This meeting will include lively debate and discussion about resolutions that will shape the direction of our chapter, so we hope you can attend! This is a virtual meeting. For Zoom login info, check Slack! For those who are not [Read More]
Time: August 5 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Venue: Online
Due to coronavirus, we'll be meeting online. Join us on Google Hangouts Are you frustrated that you don't have a voice at work? Are you a freelancer who rarely gets paid on time? Are you working 2 or 3 gigs just to make rent? You're not alone. The Workplace Organizing Collective is a group of Seattle DSA members, including experienced labor organizers, who meet every week to teach each [Read More]
