UPDATE: The neo-Nazis never showed at Cal Anderson Park Sunday evening, but hundreds of sopping wet people rallied and marched on Capitol Hill to say they weren’t welcome anyway. After the larger crowds of protestors dissipated, a smaller core remained and began a familiar slow-motion race around Broadway and Pike/Pine flanked by an increasing police presence before the “order to disperse” was finally given around 8:15 PM and the cat and mouse game came to an end with a group of around 100 anarchists and anti-fascists milling about in Cal Anderson.
Earlier in the night, Antifa counter-protestors braved the wind and rain to gather in the park to be ready to confront a skinhead group reported to be marching on Capitol Hill. A post on a white supremacist website appeared last week called for a gathering on Capitol Hill and in Ballard. From all appearances, that gathering did not occur.
But a diverse group of peaceful counter-demonstrators held anti-fascist signs and chanted for about an hour in front of the Cal Anderson water fountain. When no white supremacists made themselves known, the group began a march through the streets of Capitol Hill before eventually fading into a smaller procession of black mask-clad marchers like so many recent anarchist demonstrations in the neighborhood. There were reports of graffiti including tags on Seattle Central and a TV news van as well as a Metro Rt 49 coach. Some streets were periodically closed by police to control the group or protect the East Precinct headquarters at 12th and Pine. We do not yet have official information on damage or any reports of arrests.
You can view more pictures from the demonstration and march on the CHS Facebook page.
UPDATE: Sorry, TV:
So… this just happened while we were out of our news van. pic.twitter.com/KMfEXDNJsR
— Graham Johnson (@GrahamKIRO7) December 7, 2015
ORIGINAL REPORT: Anti-hate and anti-fascists groups are planning a demonstration at Cal Anderson Sunday night against widely reported plans by neo-Nazis to celebrate a white power holiday with a Ballard concert and march on Capitol Hill.
While it sounds like 4chan come to life, groups including the Rose City Antifa — “Fighting fascism since 2007” — plan to be in Cal Anderson for a 5 PM rally to stand up against any white supremacists who dare show their skinheads Sunday night:
December 5th & 6th, Seattle, WA: Action Against Northwestern Hammerskins’ Martyrs Day Events
RALLY SUNDAY DECEMBER 6TH @ 5PM Cal Anderson Park
Local white supremacists are planning a series of events in the Seattle area to celebrate their annual Martyrs Day gathering. They have advertised a show with racist bands in Ballard on the 6th and have also threatened to march on Capitol Hill.
For udpates throughout the weekend please use twitter hashtag#defendseattle
If you have questions or tips please e-mail us at: [email protected]
For more information on this event and the Northwestern Hammerskins, here is our article:
http://rosecityantifas.weebly.com/ articles/ alert-northwestern-hammersk ins-annual-martyrs-day-cel ebration-2015-washington-s tate-weekend-of-december-5 -6th
Seattle Police say they are monitoring the situation.
An expert on Northwest hate groups told The Stranger he wasn’t able to confirm Sunday’s planned events were really going to happen — but he also said he doesn’t believe this is a prank.
“However, we have learned a bit about the folks planning this,” he said. “It’s definitely not a hoax — however, we’ll have to see whether anyone actually shows, too.”
In addition to Capitol Hill being quite a long march from Ballard, Sunday’s weather could also dampen the spirits on both sides of the hate battle as only Neoprene Nazis will want to be out in the predicted cool and drizzly night.
Let me see if I got this straight, protesters are marching to protest protesters marching?
Even for Seattle this is getting a bit silly.
That’s a singularly asinine way to put it, but sure, that’s not inaccurate. More accurate to say it’s relatively decent people protesting basically the continued existence and visibility of Nazis.
What do you think are the odds the neo-Nazis aren’t even planning to show, just seeing how many people they can get wound-up to come out in the rain?
It a “singularly asinine” call to action and “relatively decent people” is subjective.
Socialists protest for higher minimum wage, rent control, etc.
Anarchist protest unbroken windows.
National Socialists (Nazis) protest the same stuff as the other Socialists, but then get that extra bit in there some other Socialists don’t like.
Personally I don’t agree with any of them, but I have to live in the same area and shop for food at the same stores. I’ll ignore these and those marching protesters just like the others.
This will blow your mind, man: ever considered that Nazis’ use of the word “socialist” may be… a tad misleading?
Dude… Nazis aren’t socialists. I know it’s in the name, but they really truly aren’t.
Call a march against ISIS and I’ll be there. As for all the others, this will be a big dud.
Lol, all these same groups protesting would be strangely silent if a radical Islamist movement decided to hold a march against everyone else.
Hey I know this shatters your bullshit strawman but there was a Rojava Solidarity march here in Seattle this summer, with chants such as “Death to Daesh”. Almost every person at that action was there last night. So yeah, you’re wrong.
Knowing what I do about the white power scene along the west coast, they have their own DEEP culture and show little to no interest in advertising their shows or rallies to the wider world. It’s an insular culture because they already know their right, much like the anarchists and militant queers.
Neo Nazis likely view Capitol Hill as a huge pile of garbage & won’t waste their time with a march in the neighborhood. Although I would pay good money for front row seats to watch the all the Tumblr Activists scream and pose for selfies (to prove how political they are) if any racist skinheads did show up.
Who is trolling who at this point?
Remember that straight white dude who went prancing around the other week about Men’s Rights?
The CHS commenter community cannot even agree that neo-nazis marching through Capitol Hill is a bad thing and that it might be nice to protest their presence.
That’s just sad.
I think everyone can agree that protesting their presence would be a good thing. What you don’t see agreement about is whether the skinheads will actually do it.
To paraphrase Gandhi: First they ignore them, then they laugh at them, then there’s Donald Trump.
Okay that was funny.
Not really intended to be. These neo-nazis have allies, and shouldn’t be taken quietly.
Peaceful? Well yeah until they attacked journalists:
https://mobile.twitter.com/GrahamKIRO7
What we have here is a bunch of morons who’ve just been trolled to stand out in the freezing rain, get bored and then smash some sh*t up. Just because. It’s always entertaining watching the raging hormonal antics of community college pastry chef majors.
Nazis? Thanks for the laugh it’s the anarchists who are the biggest (and apparently dumbest) pain in the a$$ around here.
Yes, you’re right. It’s really kind of laughable that they marched/protested against a neo-nazi march/protest that didn’t occur. Buy, hey, it’s fun to put on our black clothes and masks, and take up police resources once again!
When is the march against the Spanish Inquisition?
When you least expect it.
That’s right anarchists, you really showed them with vandalism – again. Jerks. Leave our neighborhood alone.