https://twitter.com/mmitgang/status/1285021871616872451?s=21
A crowd of protesters returned to the East Precinct Sunday night and Seattle Police reported broken windows and a fire that briefly burned inside the fenced-off building.
“The protesters broke out several windows of the East Precinct, then threw a device into the lobby that ignited a small fire,” SPD reported just before 6 PM. The fire was reported extinguished within minutes.
The crowd was part of groups reported marching through downtown and onto Capitol Hill through the afternoon. There was also reported damage at the nearby Amazon Go and a Starbucks. Thursday, the coffee chain was targeted in a day of protests around the city over the company’s funding of the Seattle Police Foundation. Later in the night, a 911 caller reported seeing someone enter one of the smashed-open coffee stores and make off with a cash register but we have not verified that incident with police.
Earlier at the West Precinct, there were reports of clashes between protesters and police.
UPDATE: SPD reported “significant property damage” and “at least a dozen officers” injured during the day’s clashes with demonstrators. SPD said there were two arrests.
Video from one incident shows a burning object thrown through the busted glass of a business. SPD said “a large, mortar-type firework” was the object thrown inside the lobby of the East Precinct.
The crowd was reported marching onto Capitol Hill on Pine at Boren around 4:15 PM before making its way to the East Precinct at 12th and Pine. After the clash at the precinct headquarters, the group reportedly gathered in Cal Anderson before dispersing without further incident.
In Portland, Sunday marked more than 50 straight days of protests in the city as demonstrators reportedly knocked down a fence surrounding the federal courthouse and were met with tear gas fired by federal officers.
Sunday’s actions by demonstrators in Seattle began with a march and protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with groups reported protesting in areas across the city.
The Starbucks Roastery was also vandalized (Image: SB Hopper)
The incident at the East Precinct follows a week of relative quiet with daily marches and demonstrations continuing but no crowds at the scale of the weeks of occupied CHOP protests. In the Pacific Northwest, Portland has now become the center of protest activity as demonstrators and federal law enforcement personnel continue to clash in the city two and a half hours south of Seattle.
The East Precinct is operational again after SPD returned to the building following the July 1st raid and clearance of CHOP.
SPD reported there were no injuries due to the fire. We do not have information on arrests. Police also reportedly deployed tear gas on the protest groups after the reported property damage while others said they saw people throwing smoke bombs during the chaotic incident.
https://twitter.com/MarcusKulik/status/1285036400887263234
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As we celebrate the life and mourn the death of John Lewis, it is worth pondering some questions:
How many window did Mr. Lew break while protesting? How many rocks and bottles did he throw at police? How many fires did he set? How many acts of looting did he take part in?
I’m asking irreverent questions to dilute the message of black lives by using a dead black body to prop up my own white comfort. I do not actively understand the meaning of protests and believe in current establishments as they are pillars of white supremacy. Thanks, brain lets shit post.
So, smashing windows, vandalizing, threatening news crews and demanding they stop filming is legitimate protest intended to pull down the institutions that support white supremacy? i guess I don’t understand protests either.
You’re not a protestor if you set fires, you’re an arsonist.
The title of that twitter video provides very little context, it assumes that SPD were the aggressors. In fact, you can even see the broken glass from the police station windows when the protest became violent just moments before.
These arsonists are the terrorists in our midsts. Their actions put the lie to the notion that we need fewer cops. They are gangsters with their shouts of “I see nothing, I know nothing.”
Know this those destroying my city. You are loathed. You are selfish. Many of us hope the police stop coddling, arrest, detain, and charge. Mayor, Chief Best, and city attorney, do your jobs. You get a do-over. Show force in proportion to the destruction and obstruction. We have your back.
Exactly. Hopefully, the City/SPD learned from last time and will now swiftly shut down any acts of violence in the name of “protest.”
Give it up, anarchist losers. You’re not going to effect change with your childish temper tantrums. In fact, you will make change less likely to happen.
Tell council@seattle.gov what you think of the protest being co-opted by opportunists who attack police, break shit and generally cause mayhem that you and I have to pay for with our tax dollars. Speak up! council@seattle.gov
I spoke with the hot dog vendor and it appears that SPD used smoke bombs, the person said it didn’t seem to be tear gas or CS
Livestreamers said protesters used smoke bombs.
I would always believe that hotdog stand man. He was out there everyday of the protest. CHOP. He is a super cool in my books.
I was outside nearby when it happened, I wasn’t at that corner to see anything. I had my phone put away.
Portland goon squad on a Seattle road trip?
Sunday BLM riot had a PDX feel. Baseball bat-toting rioters:
• throw “mortar-type” fireworks at police, like in PDX.
• attempt to set fire to the Seattle Police East Precinct. PDX rioters had set fire to North Precinct there. In both arson attempts, there are people inside the buildings.
The police are getting what they deserve.
The police deserve to have Starbuck’s windows smashed?
The arsonists and vandals are almost, but not quite yet, getting what they deserve. But they will.
Let’s get this straight: Starbucks condones the behavior of the police when they donate money to the police (why not just pay more in taxes, right?)
That money is not democratically accounted for, and thus fuels the ability for SPD to continue violating the first amendment rights of anti-racist and anti-fascist protestors.
The people are speaking out against corruption, plain and simple.
I know that Starbucks is a multinational company that disenfranchises small roasters while claiming to be ethical, but fuck protestors thin blue line thin blue line!
@GG Palin: Please provide proof (dates, amounts, etc.) that Starbucks donated money to the police. If not, your comment is just an unproven rumor.
@bob Knudson
https://www.seattlepolicefoundation.org/support-us/silver-shield-donor-circle
But GG we’ll all pay for the broken window through our taxes, and how do we defund while racking up needless expenses? As seen in many of these comments destruction of property reinforces the thought that we need more police rather than less. I wish this energy could be channeled more effectively.
They don’t care. The full brunt of taxes hits way harder on homeowners. The childish tantrum-throwers break things, the adults pay for them to be fixed. Rinse and repeat.
Amazon and Starbucks had property damage? Sorry to see this but it is not surprising as their ‘progressive’ corporate policies only encourage this lawlessness. This is what happens when you marginalize the police. Expect more until you stand up to the bullies that the media calls protesters. I left Seattle years ago as I knew the entrenched leftist mindset would bring these kinds of events. I am happy to live in a smaller community where law enforcement is allowed to do their job.
lol stop posting here, you don’t live here. nobody cares about your opinion.
Isn’t “nobody cares” a bit of a stretch?
You felt the need to reply.
…a smaller community where law enforcement is allowed to do their job such as doing a traffic stop on the Black people who unfortunately drive through your neighborhood and putting their legs on their necks.
I see what you did there, Franklin. You farted and then left Seattle blaming the smell on us.
I read it as everyone around Franklin farted, but not Franklin. So he left you all to sit in your own stink.
Franklin’s opinion is just as valid as anyone else’s. You just don’t agree with it.
It’s insulting to the actual peaceful protestors to also call the group inflicting violence upon our city protestors. They are rioters and need to be arrested.
That “reported damage” at the Starbucks included an attempted arson in a mixed residential/commercial buidling. If someone tried to start a fire in the building I live it, getting put in the back of some fed’s van for a few hours is the LEAST they should get.
This lifelong very liberal Democrat will NOT be voting for Inslee, Sawant, Jayapal or any of the others who are either ignoring this violence or condoning it.
Hear, hear! Nicely put. Thanks.
Those who protest only to be violent and cause destruction are angry and mentally ill, they need rehabilitation.
We need less police, but not right now, right now we need resources for mental health, education, affordable housing, access to health care and food. When you take care of your people, the right way, the need for less law enforcement will happen on its own.
All cops are bad? No, the system is bad and has failed them.
All homeless people are lazy? No, the system is bad and has failed them.
All those strung out on drugs are druggies? No, the system is bad and has failed them.
We need to fix the system, we need people in office who see that policies and laws are racist and are written so that a certain percentage of people fail, we need policy and system reform. We need equity, now!
Thanks CD. Nice thoughtful response. It’s like you are an adult or something.
Says Fartman himself.
Moments of mature clarity, then back to juvenile responses. I admit it.
Wow! While this blog is not an official anything, in my years of reading it I have never seen a set of comments like this that in isolation read law and order semi-right wing. Considering the usual liberal baseline I do hope that local electeds read it and see that at least this small sample are expressing a mandate to address with forceful clarity.
It’s not exactly right wing to not want our neighborhood destroyed every two weeks.
But most cops are right wing and love Trump.
https://www.policemag.com/342098/the-2016-police-presidential-poll
The only mandate to address is to get people to wear masks.
I’d like to see an updated poll.
Last night’s actions will get Trump re-elected:
1) Police Stations attacked and set on fire
2) Federal troops from Portland rush here to suppress attacks
3) Trump crows mightily about “Law and Order”
4) His supporters (nationwide), who were wavering/switching, return to him, the bringer of “Law and Order”.
What’s always missing from these stories is who are the “protesters” engaging in the rioting? What group are they with, if any? What’s their purpose and how do they expect the violence to accomplish their goals? This is so relevant when it comes to the public’s understanding, yet there’s never any information provided about them.
I’m a huge supporter of the protests. I just worry that strategically, the violence is a huge mistake. There’s a reason the Children’s March and non-violent protests in the 60s effected policy change and are revered to this day, while groups like the Weathermen only lead to the creation of additional law enforcement like the Joint Terrorism Task Force and helped Nixon get elected with his Law and Order campaign, which Donald Trump is now copying and may actually be successful at.
Hey Tom, while I appreciate you including an article to support your statement, I’m a little troubled by your generalized conclusion. “Most cops are right wing and love Trump.” Actually, the article has a bit more nuance than that. Yes, a majority of those polled for the 2016 election were voting for Trump, there was much in the article to say this isn’t love, or that they are right wing. Actually Gary Johnson and Jill Stein received some some support—even Bill Nye and Bernie Sanders received some write-in votes. They were quoted as saying they didn’t like either candidate and wish someone else was running. Their vote was more against Hilary than for Trump. I think it’s dangerous to make statements such as yours. Just because they were the same color of uniform, doesn’t mean that they are all precisely the same. Just as I’m sure you’d be angry to be painted with the same brush that would group all those who marched as having identical motivation. I’d say like any profession, it’s what they do, not who they are. Just my two cents. Thanks.
To me, “most” means more than 50%. I didn’t say “all.” It is safe to say more than 50% of cops are Republicans and support Trump. The article says most of them voted for Romney too.
It is our constitutional right to exercise freedom of speech, it is not anyone’s right to destroy property or interfere with someone else’s pursuit of happiness. Do you understand that? If you can’t act like an adult and protest responsibly, then perhaps you don’t deserve the rights granted to you.