In a press conference Saturday, board members with Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County (BLMSKC) called for a statewide general strike and silent protest march on Friday, June 12.

BLMSKC has made it very clear that it's had no part in organizing any of the demonstrations against police brutality that have taken place across Washington over the last eight days, and BLMSKC board member Ebony Miranda said they have not taken this decision lightly.

"We know people will claim our efforts will increase the risks of harm on our community and allies by doing such an action during this time, but I feel that we’re not taking risk," they said. "We’ve been put at risk. Anti-blackness is a greater threat to our survival. Racism in itself is its own pandemic. It's killing us. And we are fighting to survive and thrive."

The organization also announced an updated list of demands they say they delivered to Mayor Jenny Durkan earlier in the day, and they relayed her responses.

Here are the demands and Durkan's responses, according to BLMSKC board member Marlon Brown:

Some progressive leaders and local Democrats have a signed an open letter demanding her removal from office. LESTER BLACK

"Mayor Durkan has repeatedly proven that she is either unwilling or unable to exercise control over the Seattle Police Department," the letter continues. "Mayor Durkan has failed to uphold the values of the Democratic Party, has willfully violated her duty to keep the people of Seattle safe, her duty to direct and control all subordinate officers of the City, and her duty to maintain peace and order in the City. For all of these reasons Seattle Mayor Durkan must resign or be removed."

According to the municipal code, "The Mayor may be removed from office after a hearing, for any willful violation of duty, or for the commission of an offense involving moral turpitude, upon written notice from the City Council at least five days before the hearing. He or she shall have the right to be present, to the aid of counsel, to offer evidence and to be heard in his or her own behalf. Upon the affirmative vote of two-thirds of all the members of the City Council, acting as a court of impeachment, the office shall become vacant."

They're asking all who agree to sign this petition.

Last night, two Buffalo police officers were suspended without pay after a deeply disturbing video of them shoving an elderly man to the ground, stepping over his limp body as blood dripped from his ear, surfaced online earlier that day. The man was identified as Martin Gugino, a 75-year-old peace activist and demonstrator, who came up to the group of officers during a protest over the killing of George Floyd. Gugino was hospitalized with a head injury and is in serious but stable condition, reports the New York Times.

In a show of solidarity and egoism, today all 57 officers resigned from the Emergency Response Team—a specialized team devoted specifically to respond to riots—over the officers' suspension. President of the Buffalo police union, John T. Evans, stated that the officers were "simply following orders" to clear the square.“It doesn’t specify clear the square of men, 50 and under or 15 to 40," Evans told The Buffalo News. "They were simply doing their job. I don’t know how much contact was made. He did slip in my estimation. He fell backwards.” I think the video directly contradicts that claim.

Watch the video, taken by WBFO, a Buffalo radio station, of the incident here—warning, it is graphic:

I’m at a #BlackLivesMatter protest organized by students at Franklin High in Seattle. There are hundreds holding signs and chanting near the intersection of MLK & Rainier Ave.

The amount of approving horns is something I’ve only heard outside Iraqi weddings. #seattleprotest pic.twitter.com/X7xcuNCNlk
— Dahlia Bazzaz داليا بزاز (@dahliabazzaz) June 5, 2020

Protesters are now in the street, walking down Rainier Avenue. #seattleprotest pic.twitter.com/RqoGW2BPv7
— Dahlia Bazzaz داليا بزاز (@dahliabazzaz) June 5, 2020