Seattle cracking down on traffic-blocking protesters
Aug 30, 2018, 2:02 PM | Updated: 2:20 pm
Protesters who intentionally block traffic in Seattle could face stiffer penalties. (KIRO 7 image)
(KIRO 7 image)
The City of Seattle is cracking down on protesters who blocked traffic, The Seattle Times reports.
ARCHIVE: Protest blocks I-5, I-90 traffic
City Attorney Pete Holmes has filed charges against 15 people who blocked Second Avenue three months ago during a protest of an oil pipeline.
Holmes told the Times he could no longer turn a blind eye and said he has “an obligation to help keep the streets of the city open.”
A demonstration against the construction of a jail for youth closed intersections in downtown Seattle for hours and prompted public outcry.
Protesters are using new tactics — dubbed the “sleeping dragon” — where they lock arms in thick tubes made of either plastic or metal that officers have a difficult time cutting apart.
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The Times reports the American Civil Liberties Union’s Washington office didn’t comment on Holmes’ announcement. But the ACLU has a guide for protesters that warns they could face criminal charges for intentionally blocking traffic as an act of civil disobedience.
“Civil disobedience is a time-honored American tradition, but part of civil disobedience is the sacrifice made when you have to face the consequences,” Holmes told the Times. “The fact that these protests are a First Amendment exercise is not a get-out-of-jail free card,” he said.
Protesters face up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted of pedestrian interference, according to the Times. They face up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine if convicted of obstruction.
The protesters are expected to be arraigned on September 12.
