A sign at Seattle’s May Day rally in Cal Anderson Park
May 2025 will be a busy month for First Amendment activities in Capitol Hill’s Cal Anderson Park. Counterprotests are being planned as one of the state’s largest “charismatic” churches is bringing a “#DontMessWithOurKids” rally to the popular neighborhood park next week.
“May 24th at Cal Anderson Park, we’re standing for truth, justice, and life,” the promotion from On Fire Ministries reads. “We are raising our voices against the evils of sex trafficking and the tragedy of abortion — and we are defending the sanctity of the nuclear family.”
The church that has grown in Spokane under Christian fundamentalist pastor and former state representative Matt Shea is supported by the likes of anti-LGBTQ religious activist Sean Feucht. Feucht made waves during the height of the pandemic in the summer of 2020 by holding a “Let Us Worship” concert in Cal Anderson that was part evangelical revival and part provocative protest of the state’s mask mandate and safety precautions in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. The event included communal baptism and plenty of anti-queer rhetoric in the middle of the still-closed park in the wake of the CHOP protests. Hundreds of demonstrators protested the event.
The Saturday, May 24th rally appears to be cut from similar cloth only this time there will be Seattle Parks permits.
It will come weeks after thousands gathered on the park’s grass in a May Day rally in support of labor and pushback against the Trump administration’s cuts to federal departments and funding programs. That crowd marched from Cal Anderson to downtown escorted by a large contingent of security volunteers and Seattle Police. There were no reported major incidents involving clashes with police or conflicts with counter-protesters beyond a few arguments and some yelling here and there.
The On Fire Ministries event, meanwhile, falls a week before the start of Pride celebrations in the neighborhood and across the city. In On Fire’s home city, Spokane Pride takes place June 14th. Seattle’s big weekend celebration of Pride starts Friday, June 27th but the month’s celebrations will begin Saturday, June 27th with Pride in the Park in Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park.
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Omg what am I gonna where? I wonder if the gang wants to get taco’s after?
One of their activities is going to be offering free haircuts
On one hand, hell yeah, don’t let these clowns stay unchecked & keep spreading their bullshit…but on the other hand, their #1 goal seems to be just to garner attention (if not, why would they pick a high-profile park in the most left-leaning area in the most liberal city in the state?), which more people will naturally give them…so it’s tricky
From Matt Shea’s Wiki: “In October 2018, Shea acknowledged that he had distributed a four-page manifesto which called for the killing of non-Christian males if a war were to occur and they do not agree to follow fundamentalist biblical law.”
He was found to have participated in advocating for domestic terrorism.
We need to drown out the hate and let them know they are not welcome on the hill.
They know they’re not welcome to do what they do. Thats sorta the idea. Same reason Mormons send people out to go door to door – its not to win people over, its to show people how scary non-believers are so that they can feel as “othered” as possible.
I’m trans and was raised by people way more hardcore than these people. These folks are cowardly lambs pretending to be lions, because they don’t have the courage to actually come out and sit and talk with anyone – instead they show up with signs yelling and screaming because they might hear or see something that challenges their faith if they’d ever open their ears.
Alex, I’m not yelling or screaming. I want dialogue that isn’t anti-science and anti-God the way you want it. You have decided of your own free will to adopt the trans lifestyle. Regardless of what you think, say or do, or try to force me to accept, you are not trans. You are a scientific, biological being born into this world as a dna’d male or female, and as such you are God’s marvelous creation, loved by Him. You cannot change that. To live in rebellion to that is painful to your soul.
My guy doesn’t want to be anti-science, but then says we’re God’s creation 🤡 The trans experience is just as spiritual and fulfilling as your organized religion. You say that trans folks are rebelling against biology, but have never considered that gender expansion is actually deep appreciation and connection with the human body. Can’t have it both ways bucko.
Brudy, my guy, you’re the evangelical here trying to force people to accept your beliefs. I’m just over here living your life. Do I go over and tell your church how many child sex abuse scandals the Royal Rangers have settled? You know, the one that some of your deacon’s lead sections of?
Brudy, my dude, do I go to your town square and wave signs around talking about how your ministry is a system of power and control that by its very nature is fertile ground for children to be abused? That raising kids to be obedient to the adults in your church and to fear hellfire for crossing you is how you get kids to not report being abused?
Brudy, my man, do I go over and pop your wide-eyed, precious little snowflake purity security bubble and talk about my firsthand experiences with the rot that you foment, the ones you tolerate because they say Jesus’ name more than others?
Is it easier to fix up your own house, or is it easier to travel across the entire state to go point out how you think someone should fix theirs? Are you more interested in casting stones, or being without sin yourself? If you were the latter, perhaps you wouldn’t need such a stunt. You could, instead of this masturbatory publicity stunt for the gratification of people who already believe as you do, merely drive over to the park and talk with people and get to know them.
If you’re in any way offended by anything I said, know that I know about you about as much as you know about me – I’m just giving you the same assumptions that you decided to give me.
It’s always rich when people who believe in the benevolent sky daddy lecture trans folks on how they’re somehow the ones living in a fact-free fantasyland. There’s more scientific proof that gender is a construct than there is that God exists, but the irony is always lost on them.
As is what you already pointed out, that this dude literally expects everyone else to conform to his personal religious beliefs, yet doesn’t want to be told to respect basic chosen pronouns. What’s that line from Ephesians (4:32 to be exact)? Sounds like Brudy should actually try reading that Bible he clings to.
sounds like you are the ones ‘hating’.
You assumed what was correct for another person prescriptively. At the very least you could see the choice of others as valid.
I am not an adherent of religion I don’t distrust those who are because of it.
If your world view says that telling someone else how to express is moral then you are the one who is triggered.
The other people are just going to the park like normal people do.
.
“You are a scientific, biological being born into this world as a dna’d male or female, and as such you are God’s marvelous creation, loved by Him. You cannot change that. To live in rebellion to that is painful to your soul.”
You start by assuming what someone else believes is the same as what you believe. “biological being born into this world as a dna’d male or female, and as such you are God’s marvelous creation, loved by Him. You cannot change that.”
Claims:
That there is a biological based definition is the best for human cultural norms like gender expression are. This is widely questioned and unproven to say the least.
“dna’d male or female,”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersex
If there are only 2 Genders and God designed everyone does that mean god makes mistakes? After all people can be born intersex without any alteration on their part prior to them even being born they can have these traits. It would seem your great creator of all that is decided that two Genders was not enough. Either God could not have created man as you would probably disagree with or your definition of human gender dynamics lacks information about edge case human experiences.
It is hateful to continue to address someone by a name or identity that they do not feel they associate with.
Hypothetically constantly referring to you by a derogatory name has the same effect. You are like a drill sarget calling their prospective recruit a maggot except you don’t have that title or that role and so everyone thinks you are kinda being a dick on a basic human decency level.
I was raised christian as well I’m pretty sure that the protocol for when someone strikes you is not to strike them back. I remember a lesson about turning another cheek?
Even if you believe that these people are sinners worthy of being hated on openly the way you treat them is not even in line with the principals you choose to hold.
“You shall have no other gods before me”
It does not say
“No one can believe in anything other than me”
There is an important difference here and I suggest you take the time to pray and get some help from the big man upstairs to allow this hateful demon to be cast out of you.
Maybe just try putting the brightbart down?
Just looking for maximum attention and exposure. Too bad they’ll get it. Wouldn’t it be great if everybody just ignored the 12 or 13 of these losers who might be all that shows up?
Have you checked out the rest of the country? You’d be surprised how many people of voting age in other parts of the country agree with these people. They’ll get more than 12 or 13
So what? Imagine how disappointed they’d be if a bunch of them traveled across the whole state only to be completely ignored. So much the better.
yup!
Agree with these people? These are the principles of the founders of this great nation you get to live in.
Brudy thinks that our modern society is beholden to the hateful beliefs of our forefathers. Should we bring back slavery since that was a bedrock principle of our nation and the personal business of each founding father in 1775? Maybe manifest destiny is more your taste? Instead, it sounds like our society should continue to pursue the most liberating philosophy of our nation (that we’re endowed by our creator with the unalienable right to life, liberty, and happiness) and shed the shameful beliefs (bigotry) that have cast a shadow our country since its inception. Grow up.
Oh god, now your history lessons are also so ridiculously wrong. Is that what they teach you in Bible School?
Aren’t you missing a MAGA rally somewhere?
Is your village missing anybody?
Wow you don’t see Capitol Hill residents going to Spokane to hold rally’s. I’m sure this is a great way for them to stunt Christ for the gram. “On Fire Ministries” does have a nice ring to it tho.
Liar, liar, pants… On Fire?
It’s reminding me of the La Roushies that used to fart around the Ave for attention. But these guys are different cuz they want to generate a zillion clicks into perpetuity vs dumb arguments that fizzle out as you are trying to jaywalk away. Please don’t create content for them!
May all the Cal Anderson pigeons relieve their bowels over this crowd during this time.
Someone get rush permits for something big, loud and, joyous on a closed street nearby to draw attention away. Bet volunteer bands could be found. If I’m understanding this correctly, OFM don’t have permission beyond the park itself so can’t move to confront. Leave them to the gawkers and police drones.
MAGA Madam Flowers will be there fund raising and posing.
Finally, an excuse to break out my “HETEROSEXUALITY IS A SIN” banner.
Wow, a lie. How original. You go to UW to come up with that?
too many comments
get a job
ya loser
This group is probably reading this website, and looking forward to counter protestors. They will be recording everything and using those videos to showcase what they’ll call a militant left that denies their views, and that Seattle is a cesspool that hates the “regular American.” For the most part this type of protest should be ignored, it should be recorded though, and used to showcase a attempt to create hate that is not engaged with.
In my opinion the best way to counter protest small groups like this is basically to bring big pieces of cardboard or fabric and block them from view as best you can. Don’t even face em or talk to them. Just make it so nobody can see them.
i endorse this
no laps 4 u
gonna hafta bring my earmuffs to enjoy my library books in my park I see
…So who wants to bring their boomboxes and set up a nice, joyful DANCE PARTY???