Tag Archives: Protest

News

Filipino Americans Protest Anti-Terror Bill in the Philippines

by Ronnie Estoque

On July 11, local Filipino American activists from BAYAN Seattle led a protest outside of Seafood City in Tukwila to protest the recent anti-terrorism bill signed into law by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this month. Critics are concerned that the broad and vague nature of the bill will allow the Philippine government to crack down on those showing expressions of dissent or criticism against the state.

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News

Police Use Tear Gas on Capitol Hill Protestors, Allegedly Misuse Explosive Crowd Control Devices in Medic Tent

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by Carolyn Bick

A young woman was reported to have almost lost her life in last night’s protests on Capitol Hill after Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers allegedly threw several flash bangs into the volunteer medic tent in which she was being treated for a chest injury from “a police projectile” — delaying treatment by attendant volunteer medics, according to one of the street medics who said they had been attending her. 

Around midnight that same evening, according to SPD’s own Twitter feed, as well as multiple tweets showing empty tear gas canisters, officers also used tear gas against protestors on Capitol Hill.

Continue reading Police Use Tear Gas on Capitol Hill Protestors, Allegedly Misuse Explosive Crowd Control Devices in Medic Tent →
News

Man Opens Fire at Capitol Hill Protest Sunday Night

by Emerald Staff

Update, 6/10/20:

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office today filed one count of Assault in the First Degree (a class A felony) against Nikolas Alexander Fernandez in the shooting of Daniel Gregory on Sunday, June 7. The investigation into the shooting and the events that led up to it is still underway. An arraignment for Nikolas Fernandez is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on June 24 at the King County Courthouse.

Update, 6/8/20:

Nikolas Alexander Fernandez, who shot a protester on 11th Ave at East Pine Street on Sunday, June 7 had his first court appearance today after being arrested Sunday night. According to Casey McNerthney with the King County Prosecutor’s Office (KCPO), the KCPO asked a judge to hold Fernandez on $350,000 bail. The judge then set his bail at $200,000, but after his family spoke about his community ties and inability to pay, the judge lowered his bail to $150,000.

Fernandez’s second appearance is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10 at 2:30 p.m.

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6/7/20:

Daniel Gregory, a Black Seattle man, was shot at a protest (inspired by the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers) while trying to defend other protestors after an armed man drove his car through a throng of protesters in Capitol Hill before jumping out of the vehicle brandishing a weapon in a crowd of innocent bystanders, a surreal moment that occurred during another night of protests, Seattle police said. The shooter has been identified as Nikolas Alexander Fernandez by the King County Prosecutor’s Office. His court hearing was scheduled for 2:30 p.m. today.

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News

On Sixth Day of Citizen Unrest, Mayor Briefly Addresses Protesters Outside City Hall

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by Erica C. Barnett

Seattle’s protests against police brutality, which began after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, continued into a sixth night on Wednesday as crowds moved throughout the day from City Hall in downtown Seattle to the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct on Capitol Hill. And while it might seem as though little had changed since the night before, when police officers released tear gas and unloaded pepper spray, rubber bullets, and flash grenades on a crowd of hundreds of peaceful protesters, several things were materially different.

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Voices

OPINION: Defund Police and Defend Black Lives — Why We Rally

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by Ty Brown

What we are seeing today is not just about George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and the horrific, continuous list of our murdered brothers and sisters — may they rest in power. This is about systemic injustice and systemic racism that has plagued this continent and our neighborhoods for 400 years.

These tragedies are constant reminders of the hate crimes, police brutality and systematic injustice the Black community faces far too frequently.

In Olympia, we’re thinking about our neighbors who have faced police brutality, negligence, and lost their lives due to an over-militarized and over-funded force: Yvonne McDonald, who died in mysterious circumstances; Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin, who were shot at by Olympia police and then each sentenced to prison terms; and Jackie Salyers, a Puyallup tribal member fatally shot by police in 2016.

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Voices

OPINION: Black Lives Matter Seattle/King County Responds to Recent Protests and Actions by the City of Seattle & Mayor Durkan

by Black Lives Matter Seattle/King County

Despite various media reports, Black Lives Matter Seattle/King County has had no role in any of the protests that have occurred in the greater Seattle area.

Last week we cautioned our communities to not participate in protests due to COVID-19; which Black and other people of color are disproportionately impacted by. However, while we didn’t want to encourage people to risk their health protesting, we understood the need and demand for direct community support. This is why our organization has donated to bail funds across the country, and soon after created our own bail fund to provide local support. Members of our board have been at county jails every day, supporting those who have been arrested at these protests. We have also created a protestor safety guide to encourage further community safety while demonstrating. Continue reading OPINION: Black Lives Matter Seattle/King County Responds to Recent Protests and Actions by the City of Seattle & Mayor Durkan →

News

Congressman Smith Rejects Trump’s Call for Military Intervention

by Emerald Staff

Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA 9th Congressional District, including South Seattle), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, answered questions from journalists at a press conference on Tuesday about President Trump’s call to utilize the U.S. military to intervene to stop the “insurrection” of demonstrators protesting the murder of George Floyd by four Minneapolis police officers. According to Trump, states have been weak in handling demonstrators and he said he would call in the military if states don’t bring order to their cities soon. Many legal experts and communities are concerned about the constitutionality of Trump’s proposal to use the military in a domestic situation.

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News

SPD Officers Only Required to Display Last Name and First Initial, Despite Potential Name Overlap

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by Carolyn Bick

Police officers are allowed to cover their badge numbers, when in mourning, because they are required to wear their names on the left side of their uniforms, Mayor Jenny Durkan said in a press conference on June 1.

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Photo Essay

PHOTOS: Jewish Activists Say ‘Never Again Is Now’ At Rally Downtown

Photos by Alex Garland
Story by Aaron Burkhalter

Emma Klein stood in a line of people locked together at the wrists outside of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters on the 29th floor of a building in Downtown Seattle Aug. 8. She was one of 10 people blocking two entrances into the office to disrupt business for ICE to protest the escalating actions against people seeking asylum and undocumented immigrants in the United States.

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