May Day 2019 march and rally in downtown Seattle
May 1, 2019, 1:02 PM | Updated: 10:06 pm
May Day 2019 came and went Wednesday afternoon. Aside from a minor scuffle between Antifa and Trump supporters, it was a fairly quiet May Day in Seattle.
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May Day 2019 March
The 20th Annual May Day March for the Rights of Immigrants and Workers was scheduled for 1-4 p.m.
PHOTOS: May Day 2019 in Seattle
The march began at Judkins Park. It ended at the U.S. District Courthouse where a rally was held. The event largely ended by 5:30 p.m.
KIRO Radio Reporter Aaron Granillo reports that a handful of pro-Trump supporters with MAGA hats showed up to the event. One had a paintball gun resembling a real rifle, which they intended to use for shooting and identifying Antifa members. Granillo says that there was a small scuffle between the pro-Trump group and some Antifa members, but it didn’t last long. “Otherwise peaceful” he said.
April Sims leads chant, “Seattle is a union town!” pic.twitter.com/XvsXXYxSre
— Aaron Granillo (@AaronKIROFM) May 1, 2019
April Sims, Secretary Treasurer of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO #MayDaySea pic.twitter.com/DxAbwgxsYQ
— Aaron Granillo (@AaronKIROFM) May 1, 2019
A spotted May Day history
Of course, what May Day in Seattle, sadly, has become known for is the evening activities. This is when anarchists gather for their own march. Their message … that’s never really been well conveyed. What is known is that this event generally prompts property destruction and sometimes confrontations with police.
Things were relatively peaceful in 2018. The same for 2017, when right wing and left wing demonstrators found something they can agree on and bond over — marijuana. But violence and destruction broke out in previous years. A Wisconsin man was arrested for throwing Molotov cocktails following May Day 2016.
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