In February 1986, the Washington State House of Representatives passed HB1498, which would make it illegal for youths 15 and younger to be on the street between midnight and 5 AM. Partly a reaction against all-night youth dance clubs, the bill failed to pass the Senate, and the controversial proposal, backed by Seattle City Attorney Doug Jewett and Mayor Charles Royer, was then taken up by the Seattle City Council. The proposal was debated throughout the summer and fall but ultimately failed to gain the support of the council.

Both sides of the youth curfew issue were debated at a city council hearing on July 31, 1986. Among the opponents was Seattle's Youth Defense Campaign (Y.D.C), a predominantly teen-aged advocacy group, made up of self-described working-class kids organizing around a number of youth-oriented issues. In this photo, Vedke Scott, 16, carrying a Y.D.C. sign, was one of about 15 teenagers who marched outside the Public Safety Building before the council met, and then attended the session.

Caption information source: Seattle Times, May 13, 1986, p. B1; October 13, 1986, p. A9.
Caption information also derived from captions written by Post-Intelligencer staff and attached to the back of the photograph.