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‘Tough days ahead’ — Seattle braces for ‘solidarity w/ PDX’ clashes — UPDATE: Saturday big march and fire at the youth jail leads to riot on Capitol Hill

Saturday’s protest carried into the night. More updates below.

UPDATE 7/25/2020 4:15 PM: A massive march from Broadway and Pine circled the East Precinct and rallied as more protesters joined Saturday in a solidary action with Portland that included more targeted property damage including large fires set to the ongoing construction site at the 12th Ave youth jail and broken windows and smoke inside a Starbucks on 12th Ave. Broken windows were also reported at other nearby businesses.

The large crowd numbering in the thousands began its march around 2 PM and rallied with groups including .Wall of Moms rallying support for protesters in Portland and calling for a list of Black Lives Matter demands in Seattle including defunding the Seattle Police Department.

A construction trailer burns at 12th and Spruce (Image: Noah Lubin)

As the march passed the youth jail facility on 12th Ave, there were reports of explosions and flames as fires were set to multiple trailer offices in the area of the justice center still under construction. Seattle Fire was called to the scene and waited for SPD support before taking on the inflamed portable buildings. Propane tanks were reported exploding as a large plume of smoke rose into the sky.

Marchers continued with most chanting or singing in groups. SPD reported small groups breaking off the main crowd, breaking windows and tagging buildings. The Starbucks at 12th and Columbia was damaged and smoke was reported coming from inside as some were reported in the huge crowd yelling for people in the apartments above the coffee shop to seek safety.

As they did during Wednesday night’s bout of rioting and property damage, SPD followed behind the crowds, monitoring the situation and collecting evidence when crimes were committed. There were no immediate reports of arrests after the 12th and Spruce fires.

The march was last reported headed toward the East Precinct.

Earlier in the day, SPD was reported clearing out of the building via East Precinct radio updates.

UPDATE 4/25/2020 4:30 PM: At least one person climbed the fence outside the East Precinct and smoke was reported at the building bringing a swift response from police using flash bangs and pepper spray at the intersection of 12th and Pine. No significant fire was reported. There was at least one person taken into custody by police. SPD reported it was investigating “possible explosive damage” to the building.

The scene has been declared a riot by SPD command and multiple people have been arrested.

UPDATE x2: Here is how SPD described the incident that damaged the precinct building:

There, several people emerged from the group and began spray painting and attempting to disable security cameras and a fence perimeter around the precinct. At least one person breached the precinct’s fence line. Moments later, a device exploded leaving an 8-inch hole in the side of the precinct. Due to the ongoing public safety risks and damaged associated with this incident march, SPD declared the incident a riot and began issuing orders to leave the area. The crowd threw bottles and balloons filled with liquid and shot mortar fireworks and tossed explosives at officers. Police deployed less-lethal equipment, including OC spray, blast balls, and 40mm sponge rounds. Officers did not deploy CS (tear) gas.

(Images: Tom Walsh @twalsh875 with permission to CHS)

(Images: Tom Walsh @twalsh875 with permission to CHS)

(Images: Tom Walsh @twalsh875 with permission to CHS)

UPDATE 7/25/2020 4:55 PM: The crowds and SPD were reported in a standoff at Broadway and Pine where the march started after police pushed the groups back from the East Precinct. Police have taken a defensive stance and no federal agents have been reported at the scene.

After the crowd cleared, Seattle Fire was called to the East Precinct at 12th and Pine for a woman with a reported head injury.

SPD reported other property damage in the area including a burning utility pole at 11th and Pine and said protesters continued to throw balloons and bottles filled with liquid and rocks at officers at Broadway and Pine.

UPDATE 7/25/2020 5:30 PM: Police were reported pushing protesters back with barrages of flash bangs, pepper spray, and guns firing foam rounds or rapid fire paintball-like pepper balls. Several more arrests were reported and many were captured on livestream or video.

The lines of standoff have varied up and down Pine with another large crowd forming on Pike.

One core of the standoff at Pine and Broadway appeared to include dozens of police and hundreds of protesters. Meanwhile, large numbers of demonstrators were being pushed into Cal Anderson Park.

Two or three injured police officers were reported being treated by Seattle Fire near the East Precinct.

Police reported 11 arrests as of 5:30 PM.

UPDATE 7/25/2020 6:00 PM: Police were reinforcing their lines with more officers and equipment and pushing back crowds far from the East Precinct core at 12th and Pine.

Live video from Converge Media showed police with batons and a SWAT vehicle using a barrage of flash bangs to push crowds off the Seattle Central lawn and down the Hill of E Pine.

The sounds of coughing and the rat a tat tat of pepper ball shots echoed as pepper spray clouds wafted through the streets. The pepper balls marked their targets with a coating of  bright colored dye that many were concerned would be used to identify protesters for arrest later in the night.

In the aggressive push, SPD pursued protesters into the more residential streets off Broadway and on the east side of Cal Anderson.

SPD reported arrests had risen to 16 “for assault on officers, obstruction and failure to disperse.”

UPDATED 7/25/2020 6:28 PM: Seattle Fire called for report of up to four dumpsters on fire on Harvard at Thomas.

UPDATED 7/25/2020 6:56 PM: That multiple dumpster fire? Turned out to be only one. Meanwhile, much smaller crowds have formed again around the East Precinct at 12th and Pine,



UPDATED 7/25/2020 7:27 PM: Police began making a large round of new arrests after reporting that the crowd had again begun throwing bottles and rocks after returning to the standoff line re-established at 11th and Pine.

Multiple flash bang explosions could be heard as the crowd was pushed back and officers moved in to grab protesters from the crowd.

The scene at 11th and Pine crowded with protesters comes on the weekend the annual Capitol Hill Block Party music festival would have filled E Pike with around 30,000 attendees. The festival was cancelled in April over concerns about the COVID-19 outbreak.

The latest push was forcing crowds far from East Precinct, again, with police making aggressive use of explosions, pepper spray, and batons to move people to the west and into side streets. Multiple people could be seen being taken into custody during the blocks-long thrusts of police force.

SPD has now reported 25 arrests.

UPDATED 7/25/2020 8:00 PM: The big push has continued for nearly 30 minutes with many in the crowd marching into Cal Anderson where they are also being met by police deploying crowd control tactics and making multiple arrests.

The push included a police line in Cal Anderson where more arrests took place.

UPDATE 7/25/2020 9:30 PM: Crowds have dwindled but continue to be met by a sizable police force just west of the East Precinct. There have been occasional pushes into the crowd to make arrests but the scene has calmed considerably even as the King County Sheriff helicopter continued to fly above providing intelligence to SPD commanders on the ground.

UPDATE 7/25/2020 10:05 PM: SPD has provided an updated arrest tally — “45 arrests in connection with today’s riot in the East Precinct. 21 officers sustained injuries after being struck by bricks, rocks mortars/other explosives. Most officers were able to return to duty. One was treated at a hospital for a knee injury.”

Sunday, a protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement — ICE — is planned to begin at 11 AM in Westlake Plaza.

UPDATE 7/26/2020 7:55 AM: There were continued arrests overnight as protesters remained at the scene past midnight. Eventually, the SPD, Washington State Patrol, and King County Sheriff officers deployed to the protest pulled back and entered the East Precinct. By that time, the crowds were reported to be in the tens, not thousands of demonstrators and rioters. Reports of additional property damage at the East Precinct and elsewhere around Capitol Hill are still coming in as are new reports of police brutality, aggressive arrests, and people injured in the crowd control efforts.

ORIGINAL REPORT 7/24/2020 1:24 PM: With groups “bent on destruction” ready to be met by federal Homeland Security personnel now in Seattle and on “standby,” Mayor Jenny Durkan and city officials are bracing for clashes like those playing out nightly in Portland to spread to Seattle this weekend downtown and on Capitol Hill.

“What is happening is frightening to me,” the mayor said in a Friday morning press conference to address the situation. “Seeing the type of escalation that is happening in Portland night after night is not good for America. It’s not good for any city.”

The mayor Friday asked those who have been “peacefully demonstrating” for weeks to continue to hold her and Seattle City Hall accountable but pleaded for protesters to stay away from the actions expected downtown and on Capitol Hill this weekend.

Durkan said efforts to meet Black Lives Matter demands formed during protests here in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis remain underway and that the city needs time for “systemic” changes to take place.

Why not do more to immediately address those goals including a larger #defundSPD shift of spending from police to social programs and community programs to help Black and people of color communities to help keep people off the streets this weekend?

“We have been,” Durkan said, asking CHS and others to help get the word out on what she says are efforts to meet the goals including reducing SPD’s budget and moving elements like 911 dispatch and the Office of Police Accountability out of the department.

A Durkan spokesperson provided more details of the efforts Durkan outlined during the Friday conference:

To your other point about addressing peaceful protesters’ demands, the Mayor and Chief have taken early actions – including cutting $20.5M from SPD’s 2021 budget and transferring $56M of functions out of the police department to meet community needs and respond to protesters demands. Elements of the Mayor’s proposal, including cutting elements of overtime funding, transferring 911 out of police control, and transferring OPA out of SPD align with community demands. These actions are preliminary, and the Mayor and Chief will continue to make changes to the department as the City continues to analyze SPD’s many functions and services. Here are some additional actions: https://www.seattle.gov/mayor/rethinking-policing.

“As you know, some of the demands are related to transferring property or statewide police union reform issues,” the spokesperson added.

The Durkan spokesperson also said the mayor’s office doesn’t believe it can do anything to assuage those behind the recent marches.

“While the Mayor is committed to being responsive to peaceful protesters, we don’t believe that policy actions will in any way de-escalate individuals who intend to engage in violence and destruction,” the spokesperson said.

 

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Groups involved in recent bouts of unrest and property destruction that left shattered windows at the fenced-off East Precinct on Sunday and and broken glass, and torched goods smoldering in the streets in nearly surgical strikes on targeted Capitol Hill businesses Wednesday night are expected to be part of planned marches again Saturday afternoon starting on Broadway.

Organizers have also spread messages about a push downtown on Sunday putting the actions on a possible collision course with the teams of federal agents reported to have flown into the area Thursday night.

Friday, the mayor said she has been assured by DHS Acting Secretary Chad Wolf the federal forces are in Seattle only to prevent damage to federal property and will remain on “standby.”

“We are prepared to take whatever legal steps we need, to make sure what happened in Portland does not happen in Seattle,” Durkan said.

But she also added she does not trust the Trump administration.

“I don’t want to say I was lied to but maybe there were some semantics that weren’t forthcoming,” she said of the conversation with Wolf.

“I have to presume that what is happening in Portland could happen here.”

Durkan said that some people look at the protests across the country and “believe a firmer response will bring peace.” Portland, she said Friday, is proof that is not the case. Many would also make the case that what happened after her own city’s approach to blockading off the East Precinct and stopping thousands from marching for Black Lives Matter, also would make Durkan’s case.

U.S. Attorney Brian Moran, following Durkan’s conference, released a statement on the presence of a federal force in the city. “I want to be very clear regarding the role of federal agents summoned to Seattle,” he said. “They are here to protect federal properties and the important work that occurs in our courthouses and federal buildings. These are the places where federal judges decide cases and controversies, including those filed by protestors against the City, where social security benefits are processed, citizenship is made possible, and where the rights of the accused are protected.”

“I and my colleagues are reaching out to community leaders with one message: Let’s not let the violence that has marred the Portland protests damage peaceful movements here for a more just society,” Moran said. “These federal agents will join our usual law enforcement staff to safeguard our federal buildings. My hope is our community will speak with one voice to discourage those who seek to hijack peaceful protests with damage and destruction.”

The East Precinct remains fenced and barricaded (Image: CHS)

(Image: CHS)

Chief Carmen Best, Friday, said she wanted it made clear that SPD did not request federal intervention and would not be working with the agencies that have deployed personnel here adding that officers have been given “no direction” on interacting with federal resources.

Earlier this week, Seattle police union president Mike Solan said he would like to see federal support for SPD during the ongoing protests and called on President Trump to send forces to the city.

“He doesn’t speak for the Seattle Police Department,” Mayor Durkan said. “Chief Carmen Best does.”

Adding to the tensions building in Seattle this weekend will be the start Sunday of the city’s ban on crowd-control weapons including tear gas. Chief Best said SPD’s response to Wednesday night’s property destruction on Capitol Hill was shaped in part by pan as officers followed the marching groups, monitored the situation, and collected evidence where windows were broken and stores were looted or set on fire but made no arrests.

UPDATE 7:41 PM: The Justice Department has filed for a temporary restraining order to stop the City of Seattle from implementing its ban on the crowd-control tactics slated to go into effect this weekend:

 

“If the Directive is permitted to take effect on July 25, 2020, the United States and the public are likely to suffer irreparable harm resulting from officer confusion and the inability to modulate force or de-escalate situations in which force may be needed,” the DOJ writes in the filing in the U.S. District Court of Judge James Robart, the judge overseeing the SPD consent decree. “Further, if these changes proceed under the usual course of policy review and approval, they are likely to be found to violate the Consent Decree,” the filing reads.

In the motion, the DOJ cites Chief Carmen Best’s letter to the public to voice her opposition to the ban:

According to court records, Judge Robart is scheduled to consider the motion in a Friday night hearing conducted via Zoom.

UPDATE x2: The motion has been granted and the restraining order is now in place.

UPDATE x3: In the wake of the ruling, Chief Best said her officers will be carrying blast balls and pepper spray this week but vowed her department will not deploy tear gas on protesters:

In the spirit of offering trust and full transparency, I want to advise you that SPD officers will be carrying pepper spray and blast balls today, as would be typical for events that carry potential to include violence. This is consistent with existing policy and the Court’s order of early this morning. SPD promises the community that we will not deploy CS (tear) gas.

CHS reported here on Wednesday night’s two hours of destruction as groups in a crowd of around 100 damaged businesses like the about to open E Olive Way Uncle Ike’s, a chain that has been targeted in the past over concerns of gentrification and profiting off the cannabis industry, and 11th Ave boutique Rove which is owned by the wife of a Seattle Police cop who was one of two officers who shot and killed Charleena Lyles in 2017.

While there were some in the crowds Wednesday night who were regular parts of the weeks of Black Lives Matter protests at CHOP, the mayor’s office says that this week’s property destruction has been perpetuated mostly by a group of “new faces.”

A representative for the mayor referred CHS to this Seattle Times coverage identifying the march as being organized by The Youth Liberation Front Seattle Division — “the local arm of the Pacific Northwest Youth Liberation Front, which has emerged in Portland as a persistent militant voice, using social media to promote rallies, and offering tactical advice and commentary on gatherings that often have ended in confrontations with the police and arrests.”

Across the Hill, most buildings remain covered in plywood after months of COVID-19 restrictions and weeks of demonstrations and unrest. More has been going up in the days following Sunday’s damage at the precinct and Wednesday night’s march.

There are no federal facilities that CHS is aware of Capitol Hill — at least nothing under United States jurisdiction. The Mexican consulate is inside the old Harvard Exit building near Roy and Broadway.

Meanwhile, the West Precinct only blocks from the federal U.S. District Court building on Stewart has now been surrounded by a wall of huge cement blocks. It would have joined the East Precinct with its mix of blocks and cyclone fencing but Chief Best said Friday the right materials could not be made available in time. Best said the longterm goal is to fence the West Precinct like 12th and Pine has been. Both precincts will remain looking more like fortresses, it seems.

With that as her backdrop, Durkan tried to end Friday’s conference with a hopeful tone.

“Support each other, love each other,” she said. “We can get through this but we have some tough days ahead.”

UPDATE 7/25/2020 11:45 AM: The GSBA’s neighborhood commerce organization the Capitol Hill Business Alliance has sent out a message to members from City of Seattle departments with advice on how best to prepare for possible unrest.

Greetings Business Owners and Community Members,

 

This morning, Mayor Durkan, Chief Best and Chief Scoggins discussed upcoming demonstrations in Seattle as well as the arrival of Federal Government Agents in our City. We have heard from many of you expressing concerns about ongoing demonstrations throughout Downtown and Capitol Hill, especially after the events last Sunday and Wednesday. As we transition into the weekend, we wanted to provide you with an update on what we know, and what resources are available to you as we monitor activity throughout the city.

 

Several demonstrations are slated to happen throughout the weekend. Mayor Durkan has urged all participants in these demonstrations to protest peacefully, as the majority of protesters over the last several weeks have done. Today, Seattle Parks and Recreation completed proactive safety checks/clean up at Cal Anderson park and Westlake, and will have crews on standby throughout the weekend if needed.

In preparation for large crowds in the Downtown corridor and Capitol Hill we encourage you to do the following:

 

  • Secure solid waste and recycle containers by moving them inside or locking them if possible.
  • Secure other open areas (outdoor seating, garages, etc).
  • Remove any items that could be thrown or used to damage property.
  • Ensure alarm systems are on and working. Install motion-sensor exterior lights.
  • Secure business and garage areas by locking doors and windows.
  • Clean up wastepaper, grasses, weeds, litter or anything that can burn from around buildings.
  • Do not allow dumpsters to become overfilled. Locate dumpsters and containers at least five feet away from walls and roof eave lines. Use only metal or metal-lined receptacles.

 

Additional tips for construction sites:

  • Secure security fencing at construction sites.
  • Store solvents, fuels and tools in a locked storage container or remove them from the job site when you are not using them.
  • Remove trash and debris from the job site.
  • Try not to store excess materials on the job site.
  • Secure doors and windows on structures when crews are not actively working on the property.

 

City departments are coordinating to provide support for any resident, business owner or property owner in Downtown and Capitol Hill.

  • Seattle Public Utilities will be removing graffiti and can be reached using the find it/fix it app.
  • Seattle Department of Transportation will also assist with cleaning services including street sweeping and graffiti abatement of sidewalks and streets. To report debris or street and sidewalk graffiti call 206-386-1218 for SDOT’s weekend Dispatch Center.
  • SDOT will also support traffic mitigation, respond to damaged or fallen street trees, and is prepared to delay or redeploy staff from a scheduled construction project on 3rd Ave from Pike to Seneca as conditions dictate. Lastly, the City will have additional staff and crews on standby to respond to any conditions in Downtown and Capitol Hill as needed.
  • In the event that you experience property damages as a result of escalated activity, you can reach out to the City by calling 206-386-1800.

The Seattle Fire Department will be closely monitoring reports of fire or medical emergencies in the demonstration areas and will add units to increase response capabilities if needed. Fire Chief Scoggins urges residents, business owners and anyone gathered in demonstration areas to be vigilant and immediately call 9-1-1 in the event of any fire or medical incident. If the scene becomes dangerous, Seattle Fire will wait for Seattle Police to secure the area before responding. Seattle Police will take action if there is a threat to life safety.

 

We understand that residents, business owners and property managers like you have faced tremendous challenges over the past few months. We thank you for being resilient during this time, and are here to support. Please reach out to the contacts listed above for specific needs, or reach out to the Office of Economic Development for additional assistance at 206-684-8090.

 

Thank you,

 

Mami Hara, Seattle Public Utilities – General Manager/CEO

Bobby Lee, Office of Economic Development – Director

Sam Zimbabwe, Seattle Department of Transportation – Director

Andres Mantilla, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods – Director

Jesus Aguirre, Seattle Parks and Recreation – Superintendent

In addition to the Youth Day of Action planned to begin on Capitol Hill, Saturday will also bring rallies in Tukwila and Shoreline, an Art as Resistance rally in Jimi Hendrix Park Saturday night and an anti-fascism rally at Green Lake.

 

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Anastasia
Anastasia
3 years ago

Whether wittingly or not, this is playing into Trump’s goal of distracting from his failed policies. He wants this to be headlines. Don’t let him control the spin. Also, some arsonists and window breakers don’t change the fact that Black Lives Matter. They are distracting from BLM message but as always people are more important than property. And these are not BLM protests in the first place.

DS
DS
3 years ago
Reply to  Anastasia

People may be more important than property, but burning and destroying property helps NO people. In fact, it hurts employees of targeted businesses and taxpayers (when city buildings are hit) while turning the general public off on any associated cause or movement.

Eli
Eli
3 years ago
Reply to  Anastasia

+1. I don’t even understand the whole thing.

Troops are being sent in to create street theatre to sell the narrative to FOX viewers that Seattle is out of control and Trump needs to be re-elected.

The best-case scenario would then that a whole bunch of federal people show up with nothing to do, making useless TV footage, no?

Get it
Get it
3 years ago

This is a joke. What are these clowns even protesting anymore? Take this time to improve yourself instead of protesting “the man”. So much blaming and victimhood and so little introspection.

Jim
Jim
3 years ago
Reply to  Get it

Stop giving a care about corporations and their windows

EJ
EJ
3 years ago
Reply to  Jim

Sweet! You can direct the rioter to break YOUR windows and damage YOUR property. Sounds like a win-win for everybody if you like it so much.

Adam
Adam
3 years ago
Reply to  Jim

Yeah let’s just destroy crap, because, you know, reasons.

HTS3
HTS3
3 years ago
Reply to  Jim

Hey Jim, just thought you should know that not all the windows being broken are “corporate.” For years I’ve owned a small retail space that I lease out to small retailers. I could have leased it to another bar on the Hill, but chose to make less money and rent it to a small retailer that would be good for the community. This business was really hammered. Their business was ruined and my property may not be rentable for a long time. You may think that these rioters are “sticking it to the man.” In this case they are sticking it to a man who is trying to support his family. Thanks for reading.

S
S
3 years ago
Reply to  Jim

Everyone should care about the people who live above the stores getting set on fire.

fossils r us
fossils r us
3 years ago
Reply to  Get it

i didn’t know trilobites could use keyboards

you cool with an anonymous federal boot boy throwing you in a van for doing nothing wrong?

or are you clinging to schadenfreude as the only joy you are able to have?

C Doom
C Doom
3 years ago
Reply to  fossils r us

What if I told you a majority of Seattle wants both police reform as well as for people to stop smashing our windows out. You aren’t helping.

Whichever
Whichever
3 years ago

A Likely Prediction: anti-federal agent ‘protestors’ will attack the federal buildings, thus causing the predictable response from federal agents, all the while bemoaning the response, despite the logic that if you actually protest vs. destroy things, they’d leave you alone.

Guaranteed Prediction: ‘protestors’ will damage a lot of things completely unrelated to BLM or anything else. It’s an excuse for damage, and they know SPD will be reluctant to respond (because they’re damned if they do, damned if they don’t).

Also guaranteed: ‘protestors’ will declare that they were entirely peaceful, even as evidence of non-peaceful activity persists.

Carrie
Carrie
3 years ago
Reply to  Whichever

Of course, if you’re a right winger like the Hammonds, you can set fire to federal lands and receive a pardon from this same President who claims to only be concerned about protecting federal property.

DS
DS
3 years ago
Reply to  Whichever

My prediction is that the cowards don’t touch federal property, and instead continue to rampage through Seattle damaging city and county property and destroying small businesses like the 90+ Chinatown ID businesses hit the 1st night of the riots.

And you’re right – they will claim they were peaceful as they livestream their violence and then the press will parrot back that they were peaceful, despite the video.

Meanwhile, it serves the city council to let the city burn. All can bolster their democratic and/or socialist reputations by being forever able to say “The feds invaded Seattle and we opposed them!” When in actuality the feds wouldn’t come if the council allowed the police to do their jobs and arrest violent people doing violent things while pretending to care about black lives. I don’t believe the rioters, or the council, care about black lives at all or we wouldn’t have had crickets in response to the execution of a 16 year old and shooting in the head of a 14 year old by residents of CHOP.

Recall Durkan
Recall Durkan
3 years ago

It’s quite amazing how Durkan admits the previous protests were peaceful, yet her and Best’s goon squads flash banged, maced & tear gassed everyone for weeks.

Whichever
Whichever
3 years ago
Reply to  Recall Durkan

If she refers to them as anything else, she gets lambasted. She can’t win for losing with y’all, could she?

Assuming all the demands were within her ability to grant – she could wave a wand and make it happen tomorrow and it still wouldn’t be enough. to satisfy the remaining group of folks just looking for reasons to ‘protest.’

Glenn
Glenn
3 years ago
Reply to  Recall Durkan

The “protests” that ransacked Seattle’s downtown and Bellevue’s shopping areas in the early days of this uprising were not peaceful. They were violent and destructive, and they were planned to be that way. Those initial events set the tone for subsequent events, and lead directly to where we are today; plagued by anti-social violent elements seeking to overturn the system at whatever cost. This is not Black Lives Matter.

DS
DS
3 years ago
Reply to  Recall Durkan

She didn’t say ALL previous protests were peaceful, since they clearly were not. No one flashbanged or gassed “peaceful” protesters. The violence was livestreamed every day and every night. I have a ton of those videos, thanks to the bozos who decided to stream their own caca.

d4l3d
d4l3d
3 years ago

Wolf’s comments likely only apply to DHS officers and not to Trump’s secret (no so much anymore) CBP army of untrained thugs that have also been deployed. Do not trust the official line. This could go any number of ways; may be nothing but don’t put any money on it.

Ken
Ken
3 years ago

Prediction – a bunch of loser white kids will damage things and run for the hills when’s it’s time to clean up. Us locals that actually live here will have to clean up Sunday. Protesters will say they were peaceful, and the police caused this.
To there anarchists:. go rip up some republican cities. Why are you destroying the most liberal area of Seattle? How stupid are you?? Really why are you jacking up a liberal hood?

March in Medina if you want to screw with the right… people that vote for trump. How about Redmond or Spokane?

All you are doing is giving trump ammo by marching in Seattle.

Adam
Adam
3 years ago
Reply to  Ken

Because those cities would never stand for it. This is the district that continues to elect CM Sawant. We’re basically the only place where this not just tolerated, but welcomed by our local leaders.

If they planed to riot in Magnolia or Windermere, you get it’d be shut down so fast their heads would spin.

JustTheFacts
JustTheFacts
3 years ago

Please people. Do not join the fray and tell your friends. Let Antifa and their fellow travelers be alone and isolated. Your silence is your complicity in destruction of our city. And police, please do your job. Arrest and detain, charge and then consider releasing on bail those who damage people or property, or stand aside and let the Feds perform their jobs, since it is a reasonable job of law enforcement to enforce the law if you can’t or won’t. Do not allow those who hurt my neighbors or their livelihoods and property a pass. We the majority have your back.

And city council, thank you for the illogical asymmetry of removing non-lethal options from those tasked by us to protect us. Why not have the police their hands behind their backs while at it.

Stevie
Stevie
3 years ago

ITT: Pearl clutching

Red
Red
3 years ago

those Youth Day of Action posters look like russians at work trying to create unrest….

Tree
Tree
3 years ago

If everyone stayed home over the weekend, the Drama Queens would be left standing around like dorks, which is bad for reality television, right?

Dearie
Dearie
3 years ago

“Why not do more to immediately address those goals including a larger #defundSPD shift of spending from police to social programs and community programs to help Black and people of color communities to help keep people off the streets this weekend?”

because social programs and community programs to help black and people of color already get a massive disproportionate amount of the funding and it should be questioned why you should give more. Changes in police funding and procedures should be made carefully. Neither of these things should be influenced by mob intimidation. suggesting that giving in to these demands will help keep people off the street is naive. Decisions should be made in that way. It will just make them all up more confident they can use intimidation to get their way. How about giving people outside the activist community more of a voice and power? How about an honest conversation about the latent extortion that goes on in this city under the name of social and racial Justice

Maggie
Maggie
3 years ago
Reply to  Dearie

I don’t know why you think that Seattle spends a disproportionate amount on social services but it’s simply not based in fact. We spend on the low end of average, based on what other states spend:

https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/state-and-local-backgrounders/public-welfare-expenditures

Leslie
Leslie
3 years ago
Reply to  Dearie

What are the current social programs that are funded? Every time I look I can’t figure out what exactly is being proposed or what’s currently in place, everything is endless links to from websites to website that ends up either in something kinda of strange like a co-working space, or just broken pages.

Despite the ironies, hypocrites, and just foolishness, one thing that does come through is that African Americans are saying they need help out of the situation they’re in. That’s different from what I recall hearing in the past, and it sounds like they’re open to learning and doing things differently too. And with all of the passionate protesters dedicating heir lives going forward to helping African Americans, donating money and dedicating their time as volunteers, it seems like a good thing.

Mrchop
Mrchop
3 years ago
Reply to  Leslie

We can have a fundme for everyone on wa unemployment which has just been cut to $238 week for just about everyone….

DS
DS
3 years ago
Reply to  Leslie

Mayor Durkan wanted to withhold an additional 3.5 million dollars in new funding for LEAD until given an accounting for the millions they were already spending, and she asked for the same from SHARE, Wheel, Lihi, etc. to provide up to date (not years old) accounting as well. She was attacked by the council for being against social programs and never got the accounting and those programs for yet another year got millions and millions of dollars. As someone who pays King County property taxes, I resent my KC dollars going to bail funds to bail out people who judges have held on bail for a reason (like a guy who then promptly killed his own baby after a bail fund released him with my tax dollars), but when people ask for an accounting of those dollars those people are suddenly “against innocent people getting out of jail!” It’s all ridiculously political. We should have an independent auditor who does not answer to the council (either council) who digs deep in to these budget issues because the majority of average citizens don’t realize how many duplicative programs there are that are not producing any tangible results. Kind of like the one billion to homelessness in King County each year.

BK
BK
3 years ago

Mayor Durkan and US Attorney Moran can “plead” all they want for violent radicals to stop their criminal behavior, but this will have absolutely no effect on those who are bent on destruction.

Unless Durkan allows the police to intervene and arrest the criminals, who are NOT “protestors,” she will lose the support of just about all Seattleites, including me. And at the same time she will ensure that the federal law enforcement officers will join the fray, with Trump smiling.

CD Balooka
CD Balooka
3 years ago

These are angry people, not just breaking windows, but destroying the inside of the businesses, of which minimum wage workers will need to clean up. This is very disturbing.

Toodles Noodles
Toodles Noodles
3 years ago

Trump loves this!!!

DS
DS
3 years ago

Rather than setting fires at juvie (or Nikkita Oliver showing up there to scream “fascist!” in the face of police) I’d like to know what the anti-juvie folks think we should do with the juvenile rapists, murderers and attempted murderers who are currently housed at juvie. No one is at juvie for misdemeanors, or nonviolent felonies. So…send them to adult jails? Terrible idea. Set the place on fire? Also a terrible idea but no one bats an eye at the arson today because “no youth jail!”

Carmen
Carmen
3 years ago
Reply to  DS

They go to adult prison.

But in the King County report on what their plan is, despite being still pretty vague, what it seems to be saying is they lack connections to family members, cultural identity and mentors as the reason they become criminals. So basically they’ll provide therapy to these families, a mentor that was previously incarcerated from https://cmjcenter.org/ to set them straight. They also won’t discipline them at school, instead have discussions.

I don’t know if how they’re going to address the problems quite makes sense to me, like using ex-cons seems counterintuitive for example. But the gist of the observations they list do; you basically have a group of people who are orphaned from their culture, which can provide at least some context. I think that’s why you don’t see the same levels of misbehavior in other minorities like you do in African Americans historically was due to slavery and they weren’t reintegrated. They do mention addressing racism, but in the studies they summarize in the report it’s not mentioned as a major factor for addressing youth incarceration. It’s really these kids have poor family connections and no mentors. Which makes perfect sense to me and explains the “systemic” racism, in that if children don’t connect with their parents or form bad connections then how will adults out in the world connect with them? Well they don’t any more than their own children, so you end up in a cycle that appears to be racism, but it’s due to how they behave, which historically was caused by slavery. Other people who weren’t cut off from their cultures didn’t have the same experience and got past similar hardships because their cultural connections provided some guidance it seems. But read the report your self.

https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/~/media/depts/health/zero-youth-detention/documents/road-map-to-zero-youth-detention.ashx

dre
dre
3 years ago
Reply to  Carmen

Thanks for sharing that. It’s very complex and multi-layered for sure. We need more healthy, role models all around, but especially in the black community. Some of the most successful black Americans were born to teachers and reverends — which goes to show how important the family is.

TurnCalAndersonIntoADogPark
TurnCalAndersonIntoADogPark
3 years ago

Today felt different.

For one, protestors have becomes hardened. Tear gas used to cause mass panic, but now after getting gassed hundreds of protestors took it in stride and made a slow retreat before regrouping.

For another, the cops weren’t holding back, and they didn’t wait for provocation to advance and disperse the crowd. Once the crowd was pushed to Harvard Ave, everyone was surprised to see the cops still forcing an advance. They weren’t content to just see the protestors retreat, and instead they chased them all the way to Olive.

These two aspects of the current struggle make me think that it’s only going to get more escalated.

Guineas
Guineas
3 years ago

What exactly are you protesting about? Think about the absurdity and cowardice of protesting and burning stores in the most left-leaning neighborhood in one of the most left-leaning cities in the entire country. Even people who agree with police reform, do not agree to have their neighborhood vandalized weekly by these idiots. You want to make a difference against police brutality? Go protest in Texas, Alabama, Atlanta, Chicago, where the police brutality is far worse than the SPD. Burning down Starbucks below a residential apartment does nothing for your cause. It only makes people who normally sympathize with left-leaning policies to self-reflect on their politics and election choices.

Mrchop
Mrchop
3 years ago

If you watch the live stream from a distance you’ll see that the police basically marched you round in circles for a few hours. I guess its better than going to the gym ? Not sure it did much for civil rights.

I think Mr X might have been right when he said the white liberal was the greatest threat to his movement…

Whichever
Whichever
3 years ago

There was no tear gas used on Saturday. Perhaps it was effective, which is why the protestors hated it so much. Pepper spray maybe less effective, and thus, they are more emboldened as the tools SPD uses to control the crowds when they turn into riots have been taken away from them.

ChairmanFedUp
3 years ago

The protestors also vandalized (tires, windows, spray-painted) the personal cars of the staff at the King County, Juvenile Detention Center. Including doctors, nurses, and detention officers (many are black staff). See Kiro7 news https://twitter.com/GaryKIRO7/status/1287198215473790976

Jim
Jim
3 years ago
Reply to  ChairmanFedUp

Concern trolling.

That’s like saying closing a concentration camp is bad because it provided jobs. Or “what about Hitler’s doctors tho”

Get it
Get it
3 years ago
Reply to  Jim

So what would you propose we do with rapists, murders, thieves, drug dealers?

Jim
Jim
3 years ago
Reply to  Jim

Property isn’t that important. If you have insurance you get your stuff back in this society. Cops don’t do anything about thieves. My friend had his motorcycle stolen and cops wrote some things down 6 hours later and shrugged their shoulders. He ended up finding it on his own two states over from a Facebook tip. Cops did nothing.

re: Rapists and murderers. Cops don’t prevent those things. We should have detectives and social workers handling those situations respectively. Basic rank and file cops doing needless paper work and filling quotas with speeding tickets? Way way less of them.