Monday afternoon’s MLK Day march drew one of the largest crowds in recent memory (Image: Alex Garland for CHS)
City Council member Kshama Sawant at the march’s stop outside the youth detention center. Sawant told the crowd government should develop new jobs, not spend $200 million on a youth jail (Image: Dennis Saxma with permission to CHS)
Jesse Hagopian posted this picture and update to Facebook: I was marching for Martin Luther King day today–amazing march! At one point after the big main march, group of bike cops set up a line to keep us from marching. Some people walked through the line, but I didn’t. When my phone rang, I turned away from the cops and be gain walking away to answer the phone. A cop then ran up in my face and pepper sprayed me right in the face. The milk has helped a lot and I’m beginning to feel better. Wish we had a better world.
A small group of protesters against police violence chained together to block Highway 99 and marchers trying to block I-5 via onramps and exits including the busy Mercer corridor followed Seattle’s MLK Day march from Garfield High School to the Federal Courthouse — and tangled up the city’s relatively light holiday commute traffic.
Earlier in the day, thousands of marchers left Garfield after a morning of workshops and speakers in the 33rd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Committee March & Festival.
View more photos from the day here.
Following the march, police converged on the groups of protesters still active around the Mercer corridor and worked to cut apart the group that had bound themselves together in an effort to block 99. Media outlets were reporting at least five people had been arrested as of 4 PM. UPDATE: SPD says there were 19 arrests.
Protesters were reported to still be moving in the area as police worked to keep the streets cleared for the evening commute.
#blacklivesmatter activists blockade highway 99 in #seattle on #MLKDay2015 pic.twitter.com/srHmJCU06p
— Alex Garland (@AGarlandPhoto) January 19, 2015
