CHS visited in 2015
Central Lutheran Church sits at the corner of 11th and E Olive and holds its place in the middle of the communities around Cal Anderson Park including hosting religious services and providing space to feed the hungry in partnership with the Capitol Hill Community Lunch nonprofit.
The old church has also found itself in the middle of the protests that have continued in the area around the park and the East Precinct and, like many buildings near Cal Anderson, has suffered property damage during the unrest.
Some blows have hurt more than others. In August and again in September, Central Lutheran’s historic stained-glass windows were damaged. It is now hoping to raise $60,000 to repair the broken glass.
“Please help us restore our windows to their former appearance so that we can continue our service to the Capitol Hill community and greater Seattle for another 117 years,” the church’s Central Council writes.
I feel sorry that places like this have been terrorized for 6 months.
I feel sorry for the black community that has been terrorized for decades
I wonder what the Black Church would have to say about it?
I admit I would donate to a fund to investigate, arrest and criminally prosecute the vandals.
Is there a fund for that?
We have a fund for that, it’s called the Seattle Police Departments almost $400 million budget. I don’t think they need any more funds to investigate and prosecute the people responsible.
“Damaged during protest” is certainly a very passive way to spin this.
Who did it? Police? Protesters? Do we know? Anyone in the area have cameras?
Worst part is, this church serves meals to down-and-out community members. They actually do something helpful, while the BLMers and “protestors” just cause chaos.
Black Lives Matter is an explicitly nonviolent organization that routinely tries to make amends for violence committed by outsiders during its actions. “BLMers” is thus a false characterization of these politically inchoate vandals (approximately none of whom, I’d wager, are Black). But I totally agree about Central Lutheran, a progressive, LGBT-friendly church that has consistently been on the side of justice and equality. Any group that would target it for destruction is not on that side.
The “outside agitators” trope?
And all the reports that most people arrested for causing violence and property destruction were from outside Seattle and sometimes Washington? Just fake liberal news?
Allow me to clarify: by “outsiders” I meant those outside the organizational discipline of BLM and/or the Movement for Black Lives, not outside of any geographical or other boundary. My point is that whoever is going around damaging progressive businesses and organizations, I very much doubt they’re “BLMers.” And they are definitely not helping people of color.
or do you mean chaos agents inside BLM protests?
Rather than raising funds for this anachronistic entity, we should be taxing these entertainment businesses like any other theatrical venture peddling imagination.
You should read MarciaX before you pop off.
Damaged during riots.
The damage to the church’s beautiful windows show just how low the anarchist criminals can go. Their self-righteousness and amorality know no bounds.
The damage to Black people shows just how far corrupt, racist police can go. Their self-righteousness and amorality knows no bounds.
Black lives are more important than church windows. People over property. There is no equivalency.
Pretending that black lives are somehow improved by vandalizing a church? Or that there’s even a trade-off? Not helpful for the project of reducing police violence.
Here’s a guaranteed unpopular opinion. I absolutely admire that church’s support of the community’s food needs. Stained glass window repairs don’t feed people. Prioritize where fundraising goes and do a cheaper window repair and spend the money on helping the community. Otherwise, it’s just literal window dressing. Since when does a church need to be about some fancy, luxury appearance. There’s already so much waste in this world. Why can’t a church have a more ascetic approach and focus on what matters. If they want color and life and inspiration in the windows, switch to plain clear glass and put drawings by children in the window.
If the world was purely materialistic, then yes that would make sense. But suffering isn’t just about a lack of basic material needs, you need imagination too to be happy.
Here’s an unpopular opinion. If these “protesters” weren’t outside in their ninja costumes throwing temper tantrums destroying property and wrecking havoc, this wouldn’t be necessary and we could actually focus on things that matter instead of wasting resources babysitting them and cleaning up the mess.
Oh, focus on things that matter, like Black lives? Exactly what the protestors were focusing on. Black lives matter more than glass windows. People matter more than property. And how do you know the windows didn’t get damaged by the police in the first place. Also, these were not air quotes protestors. They were actual protestors. This isn’t a world of hypotheticals, but reality.
Adam, yours is NOT an unpopular opinion.
Hi there Anastasia, It is perfectly okay if you are not interested in participating in the effort to restore the church windows damaged during the protests. Here is an alternative for you to consider ~please donate generously to the Capitol Hill Community Lunch program. Their website is: communitylunch.org and there is a green donate button located toward the bottom of the page. Peace!
I used to live nextdoor to this church in the early 90’s. The house is no longer there and neither is the sense of community. Emerald city? Please.
Windows do not get damaged in a protest.
Wouldn’t property insurance cover this? I’m confused why it would need donations.
It depends on coverage. For our condo building, damage deemed to be due to civil unrest is actually not covered by our provider unless we pay an additional premium for that coverage. Same goes for incidents of terrorism, that’s additional coverage. Not sure what this church has for insurance, but it’s not safe to just assume it would be covered.
I live down here by the old chop zone, and these young individuals doing this have nothing to do with anything. They have no life so they’re ruining their community. It’s disgusting. I’m on their Twitter feed so I know when to expect bullshit in my neighborhood. I wonder if they will ever realize the only people even aware they still protest, are US who pay rent and shop here, do we hear it, and the police they hate so much. Literally that’s it, and here’s the irony- they are providing massive overtime income and new weapons/training for said hated cops. Their arrests, bail, and police overtime, are LITERALLY the only thing being accomplished. These are not BLM folks, who I support, help fund, and march for. This, is not that. This, is childish and ignorant and Capitol Hill is so ready for them to pack up and beat it. Terrorize a different area for fuck’s sake.
As long as the nightly window-smashing goes on, I’m disinclined to chip in. Does the church have any plans to protect those windows once repaired and reinstalled?
The windows are currently covered with plywood. Part of the restoration plan includes covering the outside of each window with a protective sheet of plexiglass.
Just dip into the crime fund that the ‘protestors’ have set up on GoFundMe or CashApp. They beg for money to enable them to continue their crime spree, maybe they could use it to right a wrong here.