SEATTLE, WA – Police arrested 23 people at a protest in Seattle on Saturday afternoon. Protesters and counter-protesters had gathered at a park.
The original protest was organized by On Fire Ministries, a religious organization based in Spokane. The group promoted the rally on social media saying they were “standing together for Biblical truth and values in the heart of Seattle.”
While police were working to keep two opposing groups apart, multiple people inside one group tossed items at the opposing group around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday at Cal Anderson Park. Officers immediately moved to arrest the people responsible, and while taking the individuals into custody, were assaulted by more protesters, resulting in even more arrests. In total, officers arrested 11 during the initial scuffle.
Police did not clarify which side of the protest had initiated violence.
“Seattle is proud of our reputation as a welcoming, inclusive city for LGBTQ+ communities, and we stand with our trans neighbors when they face bigotry and injustice. Today’s far-right rally was held here for this very reason – to provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city’s values, in the heart of Seattle’s most prominent LGBTQ+ neighborhood,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.
Officers escorted the arrested individuals out of the crowd and later transported them to the Seattle Police West Precinct for processing. Police stayed on the scene for the remainder of the event.
Throughout the afternoon, 12 additional arrests were made for assault and obstruction.
At approximately 5:30 p.m., the Washington State Patrol arrived at the scene to provide local officers with a brief opportunity to rest.
One officer was treated and released from the hospital for an injury sustained during the protests.
In total, police arrested 22 individuals for charges of assault and obstruction and booked them into King County Jail. Officers also arrested one juvenile for obstruction, who was released from the precinct.