Facing criticism over his comments blaming a Christian group for violence at their permitted event, Seattle’s Democrat Mayor Bruce Harrell referenced his racial background in his response. The incident, which took place Saturday in a Seattle city park, saw Antifa and transgender activists disrupt the rally, resulting in 23 arrests.
Pastor Russell Johnson of Seattle has called for a demonstration at City Hall on Tuesday afternoon, urging Mayor Harrell to either apologize or step down.
Johnson provided a statement regarding the protest.
A counter demonstration has also been scheduled.
Jonathan Choe, a reporter, shared an image from KIRO-TV’s Monday night report, which included Mayor Harrell’s statement referencing his heritage; Harrell’s father is Black and his mother is Japanese.
“We will not be intimidated by the kind of fear mongering or divisiveness inspired by the rally … that takes aim at our residents and at Seattle’s second Black and first biracial mayor.”
A report from Frontlines TPUSA covered the violence led by left-wing activists at the “Don’t Mess With Our Kids” rally, an event organized by May Day USA on Saturday:
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell initially criticized the city’s permit issued to the Christian group in his statement on the rally:
“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.
When the humanity of trans people and those who have been historically marginalized is questioned, we triumph by demonstrating our values through our words and peaceful protest – we lose our voice when this is disrupted by violence, chaos, and confusion.
Anarchists infiltrated the counter-protestors group and inspired violence, prompting SPD to make arrests and ask organizers to shut down the event early, which they did.
While there are broad First Amendment requirements around permitting events under free speech protections, I am directing the Parks Department to review all of the circumstances of this application to understand whether there were legal location alternatives or other adjustments that could have been pursued. The Police Department will complete an after-action report of this event, including understanding preparation, crowd management tactics, and review of arrests and citations.
I am grateful for those who make their voices heard in support of our neighbors without resorting to violence. In the face of an extreme right-wing national effort to attack our trans and LGBTQ+ communities, Seattle will continue to stand unwavering in our embrace of diversity, love for our neighbors, and commitment to justice and fairness.”
Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, shared her opinion on the mayor’s actions, stating:
KIRO-TV’s news video is linked in the following X post:
Talk radio host Jason Rantz revealed that nearly all protesters charged with assault during the protest at the Christian worship gathering were released on their own recognizance.
