Violence broke out after counterprotesters gathered in a Seattle park to demonstrate against a “far-right” Christian rally being held there on Saturday.
The Seattle Police Department said it made 23 arrests—22 adults and a juvenile—in Cal Anderson Park. One officer was injured.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, a Democrat, said that a “far-right” rally was being held in the park to “provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city’s values, in the heart of Seattle’s most prominent LGBTQ+ neighborhood.”
He said that “anarchists” had infiltrated a group of counter-protestors opposing the rally and “inspired violence,” prompting arrests and causing the event to be shut down early.
Newsweek has contacted the mayor’s office and the Seattle Police Department for comment via email.
The Context
Mayday USA, a conservative Christian group, brought its #DontMessWithOurKids rally to Seattle, the fourth of five stops on a national tour, on Saturday. Organizers say the #DontMessWithOurKids movement “refuses to stand idly by while the children of our nation are indoctrinated by liberal, political, and sexual agenda that seeks to destroy their God-given identities.”
A counterprotest—urging people to “Protest Fascist ‘Family Values’”—was arranged in response, endorsed by the Freedom Socialist Party, Organized Workers for Labor Solidarity, Puget Sound Mobilization for Reproductive Justice and Radical Women. Organizers called on people to “send a message with a loud picket line, signs and banners: Bigotry is not welcome here!”
What To Know
About 500 people attended the MaydayUSA event, and a similar number of people turned out to protest it, said The Seattle Times.
Seattle police said officers were working to keep the two groups apart when they witnessed multiple people inside one group throw items at the other at around 1:30 p.m.
“Officers immediately moved to arrest the people responsible, and while taking the individuals into custody, were assaulted by more protesters, resulting in even more arrests,” Sergeant Patrick Michaud wrote in a news release. “In total, officers arrested 11 during the initial scuffle.”
Michaud wrote that 12 additional arrests were made throughout Saturday afternoon.
He said: “In total, police arrested 22 individuals for charges of assault and obstruction and booked them into King County Jail. Officers also arrested one juvenile for obstruction, who was released from the precinct.”
One officer was treated in hospital and released after receiving an injury during the protests.
Videos on social media showed people scuffling with officers in riot gear, and officers pinning multiple people to the ground.
What People Are Saying
Mayor Bruce Harrell said in his statement: “When the humanity of trans people and those who have been historically marginalized is questioned, we triumph by demonstrating our values through our words and peaceful protest—we lose our voice when this is disrupted by violence, chaos, and confusion.”
He added: “I am grateful for those who make their voices heard in support of our neighbors without resorting to violence. In the face of an extreme right-wing national effort to attack our trans and LGBTQ+ communities, Seattle will continue to stand unwavering in our embrace of diversity, love for our neighbors, and commitment to justice and fairness.”
Ross Johnston, a preacher and an organizers of the Mayday USA event, wrote on X: “The audacity of the @MayorofSeattle to claim that we as Christians were ‘attacking’ is bigoted and the rhetoric of a God hating politician whose ‘power’ came up against a superior force.
“PS: all arrests were from the protester camp – it takes a bit of a brain to understand what that means maybe you have one? (Highly doubt it).”
Organizers of the counterprotest said: “Anti-queer, anti-trans “Mayday USA” is bringing their reactionary preaching to Seattle with help from right-wing pastor Matt Shea and his Christian Fundamentalist “On Fire Ministries.” Provocatively, they are rallying under the hashtag “#DONTMESSWITHOURKIDS” at Cal Anderson Park on Capitol Hill in the heart of Seattle’ Queer community. Let’s send a message with a loud picket line, signs and banners: Bigotry is not welcome here!”
What’s Next
Harrell said he was directing Seattle Parks and Recreation Department to review “all of the circumstances” of the application for the Mayday USA event “to understand whether there were legal location alternatives or other adjustments that could have been pursued.”
He said the police department “will complete an after-action report of this event, including understanding preparation, crowd management tactics, and review of arrests and citations.”
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