(UPDATE) Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell attributed the outbreak of violence during a counter-protest on Saturday to a Christian rally and the presence of infiltrators identified as “anarchists.”
According to Fox News, the Seattle Police Department reported the arrest of 23 individuals at Cal Anderson Park, where MayDayUSA hosted the “Don’t Mess With Our Kids” rally alongside a pro-LGBTQ counter-protest.
According to police reports, multiple participants from one group engaged in the act of throwing items at the opposing group, and during the arrests, officers were subjected to assaults, necessitating medical treatment for one officer.
In response to the ensuing conflict, Mayor Harrell’s office issued a statement reaffirming support for the LGBTQ community and critiquing the “far-right rally” for inciting a violent response.
The statement articulated, “Seattle takes pride in its reputation as a welcoming and inclusive city for LGBTQ+ communities, and we stand with our transgender neighbors in the face of bigotry and injustice.
The far-right rally held today served to provoke a reaction by promoting ideologies that fundamentally contradict our city’s values, particularly in one of Seattle’s most significant LGBTQ+ neighborhoods.”
Furthermore, Mayor Harrell indicated that the counter-protest had been compromised by the presence of anarchists, which he claimed inspired the escalation of violence, ultimately prompting the Seattle Police Department to make arrests and advise organizers to terminate the event prematurely.
The Mayor expressed his endorsement for individuals who engage in peaceful protests against what he termed an “extreme right-wing national effort to undermine our transgender and LGBTQ+ communities.”
He also proposed an investigation into the processes surrounding the approval of MayDayUSA’s initial event.
“While there are expansive First Amendment requirements concerning the permitting of events under free speech protections, I am instructing the Parks Department to review all aspects of this application to ascertain whether alternative locations or modifications could have been considered,” the statement concluded.
“The Police Department will prepare an after-action report regarding this event, which will include an evaluation of preparation, crowd management strategies, and the review of arrests and citations.”
