The Reason You Might See People Skipping Work and School on January 30 in Washington

If you find yourself at work or school and it seems a little more empty than usual, you're not alone.
Many people may be participating in a national shutdown of work, school, and even shopping.

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Several people and entire organizations are pledging to not go to school, not go to work, and opting to not shop on Friday, January 30 for a national shutdown in solidarity of the recent actions in Minnesota.

Even Macklemore has stepped up to promote this idea.

Some schools are opting to find a median where they'll still attend school that day here in Yakima, but will opt to have a peaceful protest between 5th and 6th period for that one our to show their support just off school grounds.
This was listed on the Yakima Democrats Instagram account.

This wouldn't be the first time our Yakima Valley students did a peaceful protest. On March 28th, 2024, IKE students did a peaceful protest when the Yakima School Board approved a budget cut that led to 100 staff members being let go. Yakima Herald covered this story when it happened.

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So if you find yourself going to work and it's a little more empty than usual, especially on a Friday, this may be the reason why.

Or if you drop your kids off at school and notice the drop-off line isn't as long as it usually is, it may be the reason why.

You can find more information on the National Shutdown site and how you can take part if you'd like.