Anarchist and radical activists are planning to gather at Seattle Central Monday night to continue Seattle protests following this weekend’s acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin.
The anti-police protest organizer vows to march “every night thereafter until we make this system fear our collective rage.”
The announcement, posted to the Puget Sound Anarchists site and spread via social media, asks participants to bring “banners, noise makers, and ‘bags of mischief'” and to “come ready to make this system feel the pain and rage of all those who have lost their lives on it’s altar of blood!” (sic).
Sunday, hundreds marched in downtown Seattle as part of events across the country to protest the Florida jury’s not-guilty decision.
While it’s possible Monday’s event will be lightly attended or, like some events posted to the anarchist site in the past, may not happen at all, radical groups have traditionally made the community college’s southern plaza their gathering point for rallies and marches and longer-term protest efforts like Occupy Seattle have previously centered their activities there.
A check of city records shows no authorized marches or rallies planned for the Capitol Hill area tonight.
UPDATE: A crowd of around 30 protesters took to the streets Monday night, marching, chanting and sometimes pulling objects like trash cans into the streets around Capitol Hill. There were no arrests immediately reported by police. Only one significant incident of assault and property damage was reported as SPD investigated an attack on a Q13 news reporter that damaged a TV camera. The East Precinct and surrounding streets were put into a precautionary lockdown mode when the crowd approached though vehicles and pedestrians were able to pass through during most of the night.
Politicians can be so heartless in co-opting a tragedy to further their own agenda. The Anarchy Party, all the trappings of the usual bullshit without any of the efficacy. Good to see folks getting some exercise though.
no anarchy party exist and you are in need of some mental exercise looking up what anarchy is. : )
Great, shitheads will be coming to the neighborhood all week and trashing it. You can be damn sure the “anarachists” will destroy property. Man, this is just so par for the course for the Hill.
Amen! Well said..
I think it’s clear that anarchists have very short attention spans and are really only interested in destructive disobediance when it comes to the hill. I wager ‘3 nights’ = EVERY NIGHT thereafter to them before they become bored and move on to their next cause in a different city.
Perhaps a massive police presence would make them call it a night at one, and GO AWAY.
Fritz, unfortunately, if the past is any indication, the police will simply cordon off with barricades the East Precinct and allow the anarchists to do what they did during the May Day march.
” . . . asks participants to bring banners, noise makers and bags of mischief . . .”
No. Just no.
I’m going out tonight, and I recommend that you do, too. I’m not the SPD, and I’m not Phoenix Jones, but I am one rational resident of the Hill and I’m not gonna let anyone fuck shit up willy-nilly. If I see someone smashing windows, tagging private property, littering, or wreaking havoc in my neighborhood, I’m gonna stand up to them. You should, too. It’s time to remove the earphones, look up, and own your hood. Get out there. Make your presence felt.
I love it! I definitely won’t put up with it if I see it
And another thing to these anarchists and their sympathizers: We don’t want to feel your “collective rage.” I am so fed up with people who have to have a “cause” that it isn’t even remotely amusing. If you are so concerned about a situation you deem problematic then DO something about it — go teach a kid to read who might otherwise become subject to gang activity; volunteer at a free food kitchen or homeless shelter if that is your concern; give your time or money to animal shelters; whatever it is you care about, STFU about it and DO something to make a difference, damn it!
I am bone weary of enduring any excuse by these anarchists and others like them who will use whatever the latest cause celebre is to destroy property and trash my neighborhood just because it has a reputation for being tolerant. Truth be known, I for one, am becoming increasingly INtolerant of self-entitled, dirty little thugs who think they have a right to harm people and businesses in order to draw attention to their supposed concerns.
Get a life and get outta mine.
I can’t even imagine these comments even when CHS started just a few years ago. It’s so sad that Capitol Hill actually has these conservative suburban transplants who think they can boss people around.
They are shutting down freeways in Oakland. There are protests across the country about this national outrage. And you’re concerned about what, Walgreen’s might have to put in an insurance claim if someone gets out of hand?
Look yourself in the mirror and think about your priorities. If you seriously still think your priorities are correct, ask yourself why you decided to move to the most politically progressive and radical neighborhood in the state and region, and you’re complaining and threatening to bully people who actually get political. It’s pathetic, antisocial, and shows very poor choices on your part.
I don’t have a problem with people getting political. it’s when they decide to take over the streets and break things that don’t belong to them, that I have a problem. And I am not a “conservative suburban transplant”. I’ve lived in this city for almost 20 years.
Why does our neighborhood have to be the recipient of these people and their vandalism? Let’s please not have a repeat of May Day. Anarchists, go away.
Many people on Capitol Hill as well as many people across the country are upset about the verdict. Why should our neighborhood be continually attacked by anarchist thugs breaking things? How does that help Trayvon or his family? Please use all that energy you want to use to create mayhem by working toward political change in a peaceful way. The residents of Capitol Hill are not the problem and we should not be continually targeted for this kind of destruction and disruption.
Kid, I agree fully. Paul, I think these people choose Capitol Hill because they know they can get away with it. Posting a plaintive sigh for anarchists to go away on this forum ain’t gonna do jack. Try getting out there and telling those clowns to their faces.
They choose CapHill because they’re all children, and it’s the funnest place to play. When they lose interest for the night in their rant d’jour, there are more fun things to do.
someone should tell them about the joys of ballard and fremont.
Someone should tell the PROTESTERS to leave Capitol Hill? Do you know what the hell neighborhood you decided to buy a condo in? I was hoping our gentrifiers would at least do a google search to understand what our neighborhood’s about before moving in and whining about property values.
If you’re not supportive of radical politics and self-expression, you’re just flat-out not welcome in Capitol Hill. This is our safe space, not your real estate investment. You are not allowed to come and push people out.
“If you’re not supportive of radical politics and self-expression, you’re just flat-out not welcome in Capitol Hill. ”
Says who? Says you? Who died and made you the determinant of who should and shouldn’t live in this neighborhood?
Oh, that’s right. The playground equipment at Cal Anderson isn’t blocked off during the night, is it?
dear hill people: stop freaking out over nothing. i walked right by the park at SCCC at 9pm. The SPD to hoodie-people ratio was 2:1, and I had just walked by the east precinct where they had lots more SPD ready and waiting (and nothing barricaded off). This is nothing like the may day crap, which people seem to be forgetting happened downtown (though some angsty teens i mean protestors did some vandalism on their way back home to the hill).
Yeah, well, I don’t think Bill’s on Broadway or Walgreen’s is going to be any too happy to see these idiots coming their way again.
Capitol Hill needs to just say no to these losers who want to break things.
I’m watching them right now from my balcony. There aren’t many, but if I hear “fuck the po-lice” one more time, I’m going to lose it. They also have a megaphone. So far, they’re just obnoxious, not destructive. They are ensuring, however, that the residents of my building have to either listen to they pointless ramblings, or shut our balcony doors & roast in our apartments. Thanks anarchists!!
Per a Q13 news cast, one of their cameras was damaged by this charming group but it looked as though there were a lot of police on bicycles escorting the rag-tag group.
It occurred to me that with all of the construction going on along Broadway, that street is a veritable ammo dump with all of the loose concrete, fill and rocks. Ugh.
Political protesters, including anarchists, have been here much longer than the gentrifying commenters here concerned about Walgreens. They were here long before WTO. What’s next, complaining anout the gays?
I hate to be a commenter cliche, but how about moving back to Bellevue? They have lots of large, quiet apartments with plenty of parking there. I heard Seattle Magazine said downtown Bellevue is the hip new hood of 2013.
Honey, I participated in the WTO protests (NOT the violence) and in many protests that probably pre-dated your birth. And you “heard” that Seattle Magazine “said” . . . you mean to tell me that you didn’t actually “read” it for yourself but are merely repeating something that you, in fact, heard.
Grow up and grow a pair.
I was being sarcastic, because many of the gentrifiers commenting must have moved to Capitol Hill because of a magazine spread.
I’m sure you did protest against desegregation or whatever. You clearly have gotten conservative with age – you clearly are anti-political protest now and your comment is the equivalent of “get off [the city’s] lawn”.
And, seriously, “grow a pair” is not a very Capitol Hill thing to say, either. Please spend some time learning about the neighborhood and what our values are.
To say that someone is conservative, because they are sick of “anarchist” coming into their neighborhood and breaking things; is the definition of uneducated on the true feeling of hill residents to the situation. I have lived on the hill for a little over 26 years and never have I seen such a pointless, ineffectual group of protesters as the “anarchists” of the last 5-7 years. They continually alienate the people who ordinarily would be most sympathetic to their cause. You are right that the hill is the mecca in Washington state for radical politics and self expression, but that doesn’t mean that pointless destruction by a group of people who by most accounts don’t even live on the hill, should be tolerated. People are sick and tired of our neighborhood, that we are proud of and love to call home, being trashed. How is that hard to understand? How do you not understand that the actions of these “anarchists” have nothing to do with the tragedy of Trayvon Martin. The fact that they are using his senseless death as an excuse to break things is an abomination.
I agree completely. Very reasonable argument, unfortunately I have the feeling that it will go right over the heads of the anarchist apologists.
Capitol HillType: I hate to break it to you, but your pro-anarchist views are distinctly minority ones among residents of Capitol Hill, as exemplified in the posts on this thread. We are not against protest, we are against the vandalism/property destruction which inevitably occurs.
And, by the way, you have lost the battle against gentrification in our neighborhood….it is occurring and will continue to occur, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it. Maybe, since you are advising people where to move, it would be a good idea for you to move to Eugene.
Nothing sends the message “justice for Trayvon” like pulling trashcans into the street and assaulting a news reporter.
anarchists come to Capitol Hill because they live on cap hill. It’s the densest neighborhood in the city and arguably many different political attitudes exist here. The commenters on Chs by no means represent a majority or even a large minority of cap hill residents, since this neighborhood blog is by no means prominent. All this blog offers proof of is that the people who read it agree with each other nominally in their dislike of property destruction. Of course, no one has yet put forward a commanding argument as to why we shouldn’t resort to property destruction after the obvious failure of due process, but then again most of you need not be concerned with the social conditions that caused trayvons death because of your likely class background, so why would you.. That said, Obama went out of his way to address the nation following the verdict, essentially asking people not engage in property destruction or rioting, as this has been the traditional response to verdicts like these. If your wondering why your neighborhood is experiencing the brunt of such activity all you need to do is ask yourselves why Bonney lake or woodenville are not..
” Of course, no one has yet put forward a commanding argument as to why we shouldn’t resort to property destruction after the obvious failure of due process,”
Because it’s stupid, accomplishes nothing, puts a financial hurt on business owners who have to clean up the mess caused by said destruction and make repairs, and pisses off people who might otherwise support your cause? How’s that for starters?
Well said, P on B. Thank you.
There is nothing “well-said” here, just the same tired whining of self-identified but decidedly anonymous “residents”.
“It’s stupid” isn’t an argument.
So you’re saying that property destruction is “smart”?
“If your wondering why your neighborhood is experiencing the brunt of such activity all you need to do is ask yourselves why Bonney lake or woodenville are not..”
Let’s see, could it be because:
1.) The residents of Bonney Lake/Woodenville would probably roll out the pitchforks and shotguns; or how about
2.) Both Bonney Lake and Woodenville do not possess the news crews that can give these phony publicity-hungry posers (aka wanna be anarchists) the coverage they so crave.
Which part is “stupid”? And which businesses are “hurt”? You realize that’s part of the idea? Economic damage is a powerful motivator.
Since you are already disposed towards such a puritanical condemnation of property violence, maybe you can highlight a better course of action for addressing a legal system that defiantly ignores the complaints of poor people
Oh, I recognize this poster. Don’t bother responding to his diatribe as although he derides the people who both read and post on CHS blog, he evidently does not have anything better to do but post and argue his deranged point of view himself. He’s an utter waste of time who desires nothing more than to waste the time of others.
In other words, your too lazy to think of an argument worth sharing..
Says the guy who advocates for property damage. Gracie is right, you are not worth any more time. Try not to smash any windows tonight, mmmkay?
Surprised no one has commented on the irony of anarchists protesting an event that epitomized the power of the people over the state.
Does no one else see the irony about protesting for Trayvon the day after another shooting occurred on the Hill?
So neighborhood watches are inherently racist and reporting suspicious activity, if it involves any person of color is inherently racist, so in fear of having any kind of prejudice we become a reactive community while people shoot each other on the Hill. Kinda makes me feel helpless about the entire situation.
[…] the State!: For me, the ironic topper was my beloved local anarchists calling for protests against the verdict. I didn’t know that anarchists thought the police and prosecutors should have more […]