May Day protest in Seattle turns violent

BY KIRO Radio Staff  on May 1, 2012 @ 4:52 am (Updated: 8:20 am - 5/2/12 )

Photo-May-01,-1-21-22-PM.jpg
A window at Niketown in downtown Seattle is broken after a protest march through Seattle on May Day. (97.3 KIRO FM/Brandi Kruse) | Zoom
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A strong police presence and rain might have deterred further violence from taking place on what had already become an ugly May Day.

Seattle police made at least a dozen arrests after protesters, including a group of anarchists known as the "black bloc" incited violence against police officers and caused property damage throughout downtown.

While one group gathered at Westlake Park, the March for Immigrant and Worker rights, marched peacefully from the Central District neighborhood to downtown.

Juan Jose Bocanegra, an organizer of the immigrant rights events had said anyone planning violence should stay away.

But black-clad protesters using sticks and bats smashed stores and automobile windows during May Day demonstrations that turned violent in Seattle.

At the federal appeals court building, an FBI evidence team arrived after protesters shattered glass doors with rocks and threw or shot a smoke bomb toward the lobby. The device hit the only door that didn't break, spun off into some nearby bushes and started a small blaze that quickly burned itself out.

Clashes with police continued to escalate during the afternoon. Demonstrators used sticks, smoke bombs, paint, hammers, rocks, and tire irons to do serious damage to businesses and cars.

The mayor issued a special order allowing police to confiscate makeshift weapons. By Tuesday night, police had seized about 70 such items, including one with at least a dozen cigarette lighters taped together.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said many of the most violent protesters, those who had caused damage with rocks, hammers and tire irons, tried to hide in the larger crowd early Tuesday afternoon by shedding their all-black clothes.

Police said some of the property damage included broken windows at American Apparel and Niketown, Bank of America on Olive, Wells Fargo on 4th Ave, the courthouse, cars in the 1500 block of 6th Ave and in the 500 block of Seneca, Homestreet Bank on 6th Ave.

"There's a bunch of smoke, Anarchists,and protesters walking down the street hitting our windows with hammers. Right now, all of our windows are severely cracked or they're about to break. You can hear them cracking," an employee of American Apparel told 97.3 KIRO FM's Dori Monson Show during the activity on Tuesday.

Listen to American Apparel employee Kirby describe the protest

Warning: Video contains some graphic language.

The violence triggered a lockdown at City Hall and caused all downtown Wells Fargo branches to close ahead of schedule.

While trouble continued downtown, the annual May Day March for Immigrant and Worker rights started from Judkins Park to downtown Seattle at 5:00 p.m. (the rally at the park started at 3:30 p.m.) That gathering was described as much more peaceful according to 97.3 KIRO FM reporter Josh Kerns.

"We appreciate that the vast majority of people out there are peaceful participants," McGinn said. "What we know from WTO previously is you get a group of people committed to cause damage...My direction to police is I expect them to respond to law breaking swiftly and aggressively."

Seattle police Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said the department's concerns of violence were real.

"I think we handled it as best we could," Whitcomb said late Tuesday night. "These were, for the most part, peaceful demonstrations. It's such as shame that such a small group of individuals were able to hijack the event and dilute the message to one of violence. They came here and they smashed it up."

People or businesses who had their property vandalized in the May Day demonstrations should call Seattle Police at 206-625-5011 or file a report online.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

KIRO Radio Staff, Staff report
Straight from the newsdesk.
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Comments (123)


  • Add A Comment

  • ron prevost wrote...
    the right of the people to peacefully assemble shall not......
    May 1, 2012 7:35 am
    As note prior, at least 95% of those marching and demonstrating WILL be peaceful. As we have seen from WTO a few years ago and at the bakery only recently, there are a number of - I hesitate to call them people - who want nothing more than anarchy and their chance to break a few windows. ... THESE are the creatures who must be stopped. .................................. As for the rest, its is NOT race - it is NOT political bent - it is NOT immigration status. Please save your hate for those who deserve it and only exploit those they claim to support. ........................................................................................... Oh, and by the way to SALIFE - No way in heck are you going to deport 16M people. But Obama's job production is sending a lot home anyway. .. And, HEY - a good lot of 'illegals' are from Canada, maybe less of a 'toilet bowl' than where YOU live. .. GIVE UP THE HATE !!!!!!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • John E wrote...
    Ron - I agree
    May 1, 2012 1:27 pm
    You summed it up
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    RWNJ's . . . .
    May 1, 2012 7:55 am
    good for whipping things up.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • hnuh wrote...
    05-01-2012 Seattle police prepare...
    May 1, 2012 8:00 am
    Anyone out protesting on May day can be considered a communist. Communists are the mortal enemy of human freedom due to the interval of totalitarian socialism necessary as the "new man" is developed. Communists are both extremely dangerous and utterly contemptible.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tuleman003 wrote...
    Some people are just violent by nature.
    May 1, 2012 9:17 am
    Home team wins; trash the city. Someone across the country gets shot; retaliate. Now May Day, seriously? Take some pride in what little intelligence you have. Use the system, not your pitchforks and torches.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • flipper wrote...
    Fallacious Assumption...
    May 1, 2012 1:18 pm
    ...that protestors are intelligent.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Laudan wrote...
    Nope
    May 1, 2012 3:38 pm
    Obviously not, at least the ones downtown aren't.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tuleman003 wrote...
    BTW, violence
    May 1, 2012 9:28 am
    is how people react when frightened, not when they are bravely taking a stand.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HLC wrote...
    Note to cops, leave the rubber bullets at home.
    May 1, 2012 9:40 am
    Use the real things and improve the gene pool.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • jjminnelli wrote...
    the only potential violence
    May 1, 2012 10:08 am
    would be from the cops over reacting to protest, as they are prone to do here in Seattle. Long live libertarian-communism!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Laudan wrote...
    Reacting
    May 1, 2012 3:40 pm
    At least this isn't Syria. Talk about "over reacting." and libertarian-communism? That makes no sense.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tbohon wrote...
    I'm voting you off ...
    May 1, 2012 6:52 pm
    the island, the country and the planet. If you don't like our society go spout your cr@p in Beijing and see how far it gets you. Here's a quarter - go play on the tollway or something.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Truly amazing comments from several posters who recommend killing the marchers....
    May 1, 2012 10:49 am
    That's pretty far out there, really.

    I personally disagree with the concept of May Day marches (for several reasons) but you can't claim to be an American if you deny even the most extreme idiot's privilege to exercise the rights granted under the first amendment.

    I like the ACLU's approach to this issue. The have stepped in several times over the years to defend some of the most heinous, often uber-conservative, organizations' rights to march, speak, protest, etc. You don't have to agree with the message to recognize somebody's right to speak. When you take the stance that the only people permitted to speak are those who agree with a particular political philosophy, you approach a dictatorship- not a democracy or a constitutional republic.

    "Leave the rubber bullets at home, use the real things"? "Pile up the bodies"? You guys must really be frightened by non-conformist ideas-

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • flipper wrote...
    Personally
    May 1, 2012 1:19 pm
    I'm sick of having to see taxpayers' money (likely none if coming from these protestors) spent to deal with the 10% of them who foment the other 90% to violence.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Integrator wrote...
    true enough
    May 1, 2012 10:27 pm
    well said Chuck
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • dregstudios wrote...
    Working for YOU
    May 1, 2012 10:58 am
    The Occupy Movement is NECESSARY for our citizens to expose the corruption which Big Business has infected our Government with. Every single person occupying the streets and protesting Corporations is a hero and a patriot. I was compelled to lend a hand and create some new posters for the movement which you can download for free on my artist’s blog at http://dregstudiosart.blogspot.com/2011/11/propaganda-for-occupy-movement.html
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • monroemad wrote...
    Big Business?
    May 1, 2012 1:23 pm
    You can kill any big business by not buying their products. If you views win the day with a majority of the people, the business dies.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tbohon wrote...
    One Way Ticket
    May 1, 2012 6:54 pm
    To Beijing is about $600 - we'll be more than happy to take up a collection if you promise to renounce your US citizenship and stay with your Communist buddies.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • kata wrote...
    really tasteless comments here
    May 1, 2012 11:45 am
    -
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • circuitfr wrote...
    great...
    May 1, 2012 12:16 pm
    look at the violence already....bunch of freaks.. Don't see this at tea party rallies... Unbelievable these goons and savages act like this. Our country is regressing back to monkeys.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }