A suspect was taken into custody outside the precinct (Image: CHS)
An annual protest against police brutality may have moved off Capitol Hill this year, but the East Precinct wasn’t left totally out of the action.
On Thursday afternoon, an officer inside the 12th and E Pine police station said he saw a male spray painting a column on the outside of building. The suspect left a smear of red paint before being chased into Northwest Liquor & Wine across the street where he was apprehended, according to SPD radio traffic.
In year’s past, the October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality has held relatively peaceful marches around the East Precinct to call attention to police shootings and racially motivated harassment. This year, the group planned to hold its rally, “No More Stolen Lives, Say Their Names,” in Westlake Park at 5 PM.
Families of people killed by police will gather to tell their stories, accompanied by people in solidarity from all walks of life who will be reading the names of just some of the 1000s of lives stolen.
The protest kicks off three days of #RiseUpOctober actions across the country. Last year, a group of about 30 protestors defied a Seattle downpour to march from Garfield High School to the East Precinct.
Protestors outside the E Precinct in 2014. (Image: Alex Garland)
It seems like the author of this post means to draw a connection between this individual who tagged the police station and the anti-police brutality march that isn’t even planned for the area.
Apprehending the tagger is described as the PD not being left out of the “action” of the protest march, and yet there’s nothing explicitly political about the red smear the person tagged, and nothing is included typing that person to the organizers of the march, or even to an anti-brutality cause.
Seems a little irresponsible regardless of how you feel about the march. The tagger obviously isn’t a huge fan of the police, but that doesn’t mean he has anything to do with the march.
There is a connection — protest or vandalism against the police. Didn’t say he was part of the group organizing downtown. Didn’t say he wasn’t.
There you go again…equating protest and vandalism as if they are in the same category.
One is a criminal act, one is an important part of the American political process. Why connect them?
Can’t a vandal be a protestor as well?
Fully aware and supportive of protest. Also fully aware — and sometimes supportive — that there are many types of protest including — at times — vandalism — like we’ve seen on Capitol Hill
I appreciate this response and feel like I have a better idea of where you were coming from.
Thanks to being open to the dialogue and helping keep us on the right track
At this point they (the police and the protesters) probably email each other.
“Same as last year?”
“Sure, wanna have coffee after?”
“Sure, you choose this year, not Starbucks though”
It’s about damn time that a graffiti vandal was arrested. Usually they do their evil deeds in the middle of the night when they know the risk of detection is low. I hope he’s prosecuted and gets more than a slap on the wrist.
Is vandalizing protesters protected by free speech?