Several groups in the African Amercian community met at City Hall to protest the fatal shootings of African Americans by Seattle police. On April 20, 1971, about 200 demonstrators representing the African American community marched from Garfield High School to the Municipal Building and occupied City Council chambers to protest action over shootings by Seattle police of African Americans Leslie Allen Black and Louis Alton Jones. Black was initially pursued on March 21 because his car did not have a front license plate and the rear one was loose. Jones was pursued on April 16 because he ran a stop sign. Mayor Uhlman was out of town, leaving acting mayor Charles M. Carroll to address the crowd. The group occupied chambers from 3:40 until 6:40 pm, demanding immediate answers to four demands. Spokesperson Larry Gossett told the acting mayor that the people wanted "an immediate answer and no dilly-dallying or sidestepping." The time waiting for Carroll's response to the demands was spent discussing black community issues, organizing in the African American community, and preparing to be arrested. Drums and some flute music punctuated the waiting. At the end of three hours, acting mayor Carroll returned to answer the demands.
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Citation:
Courtesy of the Seattle Municipal Archives, #530, Series 4601-03.