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It was yet another May Day, and around the country and the world, different cities held different demonstrations – most of them either left-wing, pro-communist, pro-immigration, or anti-capitalist.
And then there is Seattle.
Seattle Assistant Police Chief Steve Wilske said that the city will allow peaceful protesting and marches, even if they are unpermitted on May 1 at an April 29 conference.
“We will allow you to march in the street, but we will expect you to march with the flow of traffic,” he said.
The police are under a great deal of pressure, first from His Somnolency, Mayor Ed Murray (the mayor who checks off in all the correct liberal agenda items, but suffers the double curse of both being ineffective and boring), and second, from a fairly punitive Department of Justice “agreement” that has Seattle police on the Obama administration’s naughty list until such time as the DOJ decides that the police have been nice enough. So even though the anarchists gave the police plenty of warning…
#Graffiti @ I90 Lid park before planned events >> https://t.co/UhlOzx6saC pic.twitter.com/JQqXcUaHkx
— hrsilverman (@hrsilverman) May 1, 2016
… the police – and local businesses – had to brace themselves for what was coming.
Signs that it's May in Seattle. #SeaMayDay pic.twitter.com/0hZ7Zaux2O
— Andrew Sorensen (@AndrewX192) May 1, 2016
Urban outfitters has boarded up their windows #MayDaySea pic.twitter.com/AhQOhsssaJ
— Andrew Sorensen (@AndrewX192) May 1, 2016
And right on time, the anarchists began to gather.
A lot more "black masks" forming up in Westlake #MayDay2016 #MayDaySea pic.twitter.com/qtPxbiHsaf
— Henry Rosoff (@HenryKIRO7) May 2, 2016
Wearing both masks and hypocrisy.
Anti-Capitalist agenda… #MICHAELKORS watch pic.twitter.com/OEWPs2s3xz
— Henry Rosoff (@HenryKIRO7) May 2, 2016
And then the annual farce began.
"We are ungovernable."
Anti-capitalists gathering in #Westlake. #MayDaySea
>> https://t.co/k7Dwk7yAJZ pic.twitter.com/KOVMNgZbo2
— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) May 2, 2016
Naturally, the anarchists got violent. Because that’s what anarchists do, when they are bravely wearing masks.
BREAKING: Several Police Officers Injured, Businesses Damaged During Anti-Capitalist Protests In Seattle #MayDaySea pic.twitter.com/ha4XO68ejT
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) May 2, 2016
Some of the weapons collected at tonight's protest, incl Molotov #MayDaySea pic.twitter.com/MRdfBuZYdi
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) May 2, 2016
The initial anarchist crowd began with around 200 people, according to reporter estimates. A dispersal order was finally given shortly after 7 pm, which was largely ignored as the anarchists kept on moving. They finally ended up at… Costco.
Group now assailing shopping carts in @Costco parking lot. #MayDaySea
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) May 2, 2016
Nothing says “fight capitalism” like assaulting shopping carts and flipping pallets at Costco.
Anarchist protesters now outside Seattle Costco pic.twitter.com/1SClYettZS
— Dave Wagner (@DaveKIRO7) May 2, 2016
#MayDaySea protest now stalled at Costco in South Seattle. @SeattlePD surrounding them. #komonews pic.twitter.com/epYIyndztS
— Doug Pigsley (@DougPigsleyKOMO) May 2, 2016
Yes, this is Seattle, where even the anarchists are nothing more than capitalist cliches.
There's nothing more Seattle than containing a May Day protest at Costco. Hahaha.
— Jasmine Ari (@tealaeves) May 2, 2016
The crowd, now surrounded and contained, were forced to leave, while the mayor and the police chief patted themselves on the back for allowing people to use their “First Amendment rights.”
"…we want people to be able to be able to express their first amendment rights."
>> https://t.co/C0DRMsFnDR pic.twitter.com/Tcl8YFreIw
— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) May 2, 2016
O'Toole: We'll learn from our experience this year. No life-threatening injuries. #LIVE >> https://t.co/C0DRMsFnDR pic.twitter.com/WSAIiwKNDe
— KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) May 2, 2016
And they act as if it’s a big deal that less people were arrested this year, while only five officers were hurt.
Update: 9 total arrests tonight
1 prop dest
3 assault
5 obstruction
8 male, 1 juv female
appx ages:
20
20
21
21
22
23
23
32#MayDaySea— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) May 2, 2016
5 officers injured:
1 head laceration, struck by rock
1 hit by molotov (injured but not burned)
1 bitten
(details TK on 2 others)#MayDaySea— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) May 2, 2016
And in the meantime, Seattle continues to be a laughingstock.
Every year these same imbeciles tear up the city and innocent businesses. Why does the city allow anarchists a permit for this? #MayDaySea
— ZombieHarambe2016 (@LilMissRightie) May 2, 2016
The short answer is that they don’t get a permit, but the anarchists have won anyway. Seattle is full of liberal political cowards who bleat about “free expression” at the cost of injury to property and police. Because then the powers-that-be can feel good about themselves, while businesses sweep up broken glass and take down boards from their windows. At least until next year, when this chaos is allowed to happen all over again.
Dutchuncle says: It is time we showed them REAL Safe Places,,,like jail yard that Joe Arpaio has built in Az. Or maybe a work camp in Montana in the winter.
GWB says: It won’t happen in Seattle, but I would love to see these a-holes show up somewhere that people believe in real community and aren’t afraid to defend themselves. The anarchists turn the corner, and there is a line of concerned citizens and business owners, displaying their own weapons and standing firm to tell the jack-wads “not on our street, imbeciles.”
Isn’t it interesting that these folks – who actually fit the definition of “insurrectionists” – are NOT on the FBI watchlists for terrorism, but those who want to live peaceably within the law albeit with no interference from the gov’t are routinely labeled “domestic terrorists”.
none says: Yes, this will happen again, and yes, more reactionaries and so-called concerned citizens trying to position themselves as “common sense” or proponents of civic participation will write more hand-wringing, butthurt articles about it. It will continue to escalate, and you won’t do shit besides fawn over the injured pigs and cry over broken windows.
“but I would love to see these a-holes show up somewhere that people believe in real community and aren’t afraid to defend themselves. ”
Anarchists believe in real community. Not the hollow political expression of “community” based on nationalism or work. Anarchists and communists are active in campaigns around issues such as maintaining affordable housing, tenant ownership, and living wage jobs, directly affect poor families. These campaigns are not based on advocacy, raising awareness, or morality, rather they are based on changing the relations of power, building non-capitalist economic institutions controlled by poor people and making real changes in the socio-economic conditions of those who participate.
“Isn’t it interesting that these folks – who actually fit the definition of “insurrectionists” – are NOT on the FBI watchlists for terrorism, but those who want to live peaceably within the law albeit with no interference from the gov’t are routinely labeled “domestic terrorists”.”
Except they are. The FBI has a long and storied history-that continues to this day- of extreme repression against radical leftist groups. Just saying, you’re wrong. Also, if you’re referring to militia types and III%ers as “wanting to just live peacefully”, you should know the extreme right in America has killed people and targeted civilians. Anarchists haven’t.
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