MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Protests continue in Seattle for a 7th night

Jun 3, 2020, 2:15 PM | Updated: Jun 5, 2020, 12:04 am

protesters...

Protesters gather in Capitol Hill on Thursday, June 4. (Nicole Jennings/KIRO Radio)

(Nicole Jennings/KIRO Radio)

For the seventh night, protesters gathered in downtown Seattle. They marched through downtown and in Capitol Hill where they met up near Cal Anderson Park for another long night.

Earlier on Thursday, Police Chief Carmen Best sent a directive on mourning bands worn on her officers’ badges. Read more.

Follow live updates:

11:13pm – Hundreds of protesters remain at 11th and Pine in Capitol Hill. They’re chanting: “Who’s lives matter? Black Lives Matter.”

10:24pm – A large group of protesters is headed toward Cal Anderson Park. They’re moving along near 12th and Pike.

9:49pm – Protesters say (via Twitter)  that there is a different feel at the demonstration at 11th and Pine on the 7th night — it’s more peaceful, less tense.

9:22pm – Two large groups of protesters marching around Capitol Hill and downtown Seattle met up at 12th and Jackson. They’re expected to head towards Cal Anderson Park to meet back up with protesters on 11th and Pine.

8:48pm – While a large group of protesters is marching down Broadway, another is assembled where it was last night — on 11th and Pine near Cal Anderson Park. Police officers have moved quiet a ways back from the fencing they’ve set up.

8:18pm – A large group has now been spotted peacefully marching south on Broadway. Another crowd is moving through the Central District.

8:14pm – Local Capitol Hill businesses have begun to open their doors for protesters. That includes Optimism Brewing on Broadway, which is allowing protesters in the area to use its bathrooms, fill up water bottles, wash their hands, and charge phones. The brewery is asking that anyone coming inside wears a mask and practices safe social distancing.

“These were not the circumstances we thought we would reopen for, but we see that we’ve never had a better reason,” it detailed in a Tweet.

8:03pm – Protesters have begun to chant “take off your riot gear, we don’t see no riot here,” as the crowd remains behind the barrier with cops positioned 30 or so feet away.

7:39pm – For the second night in a row, police are positioned further away from the barricade at 11th and Pine than they were on Monday and Tuesday.

Whereas early in the week, officers would stand directly behind the barrier, they’ve now begun to stand roughly 30 feet away.

7:21pm – The Seattle Police Department put out a blog post Thursday evening providing more details on its new policy on mourning bands on badges.

In the days ahead, the policy will require mourning bands to be positioned directly above the badge number, rather than over it.

6:49pm – Rep. Pramila Jayapal announced “legislative efforts to stop police brutality,” which she expects will touch on a number of points, including the use of force, de-militarization of the police force, and data collection.

6:33pm – Live videos indicate a crowd has gathered at the site of earlier protests this week at 11th and Pine in Capitol Hill. There are also reports of protesters nearby on 12th Avenue, and on Broadway.

4:32pm – Donations of snacks, water, and medical supplies for protesters have grown in recent days. A few restaurants and buildings in the area have opened their restrooms for protesters as well.

4:03pm – Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson has lifted the city curfew through Saturday and has no curfew planned for Thursday, June 4.

2:54pm –  Police Chief Best will be issuing a formal order Thursday requiring all badge numbers to be displayed following community concerns that officers were using mourning bands to cover their badge numbers.

1:05pm – Roughly two-dozen protesters appear to be gathered at the 11th and Pine barricade now.

10:50am – With sunshine peeking through the clouds, protesters remain at the barricade near the East Precinct. They appear to have set up cones around the area they’ve gathered in.

9:26am – Police presence at the protest remains minimal, with cop cars continuing to give the small crowd stationed at the barricade a wide berth. Top Pot donuts and coffee were also seen being brought to protesters.

8:12am – Protesters are still out. A small food and water station appears to have been laid out on the corner of 11th of Pine.

7:00am – A small crowd of protesters is still at the 11th and Pine barricade, after picking up garbage that had accrued overnight.

5:58am – Just over a dozen or so protesters remain at the intersection of 11th and Pine, while police presence has dwindled to a few cop cars parked half a block behind the barricade near the East Precinct.

5:03am – Crowds are reportedly still gathered in Capitol Hill. Police have moved away from the barricade along 11th and Pine, and the crowd appears to have dwindled to a small handful of people. The protest has remained peaceful.

Wednesday:

11:15pm – Police and protesters remain on Capitol Hill.

10:44pm – Chief Best is at the barricade on Capitol Hill, speaking one-on-one to protesters.

10:38pm: Seattle Police Chief was spotted at the police barricade on Capitol Hill Wednesday night, wearing a mask.

“We can stand here all night,” Best said.

9:57pm – A second group of people have reportedly broken off from the large crowd on 11th. They appear to be moving past Pine.

9:27pm – There are reports of someone throwing things at the protests on Capitol Hill. Protesters are warning each other not to throw things. There were reports of people throwing rocks last night at police officers, prompting them to deploy tear gas.

9:11pm – The curfew in Seattle was originally set at 9pm. It has been canceled. Nothing looks different on Capitol Hill, despite not having a curfew. A large crowd, many with open umbrellas, remains at 11th and Pine.

8:40pm – Police Chief Carmen Best posts pics of her conversation with protest organizers.

8:23pm – Mayor Jenny Durkan confirmed to KIRO 7’s Essex Porter that the curfew has been lifted effective immediately.

8:17pm – Seattle Council President Lorena Gonzalez says that based on internal conversations with Mayor Durkan, the council is operating under the assumption that the curfew will not be effective for the rest of the week.

8:14pm – Water bottles and spray bottles can be seen lining sidewalks near the intersection of 11th and Pine.

7:59pm – Clarifying Mayor Durkan’s previous statement, her office told KIRO 7 “the citywide curfew will end effective tomorrow, June 4, at 5 a.m.”

“Peaceful demonstrators can continue to protest regardless of the curfew,” the statement added.

7:40pm – Protesters can be seen on video laying down flat in protest at the intersection of 12th and Pine. Things remain largely peaceful.

7:27pm – KIRO Radio’s Meili Cady describes “a mellow scene” right now among protesters at Cal Anderson Park. Crowds remain gathered at barricades a block away from the East Precinct in Capitol Hill with umbrellas open.

7:07pm – Mayor Durkan heard the calls from protesters to end the curfew, and has told those demonstrating tonight they can continue to do so.

6:36pm – There are public toilets available at Cal Anderson Park, and people on Twitter have posted offers of snacks, water, and medical supplies for the protesters in the area. A crowd has gathered in the same area as Tuesday night’s protest — near 11th and Pine — with a line of umbrellas at the barricade.

6:13pm – The city just sent another reminder out about the 9 p.m. – 5 a.m. curfew.

6:03pm – A large group of protesters is moving down Pine Street.

5:34pm – I-5 through Seattle is once again open. Cars are moving in both directions.

5:26pm – The crowd is currently marching back to Capitol Hill and Cal Anderson Park. A number of demonstration leaders and organizers are meeting with Mayor Durkan and Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best now at City Hall, on the sixth day of protests in Seattle.

4:58pm – I-5 was briefly reopened, but is now closing again due to “demonstration movement.”

4:35pm – Mayor Durkan came outside to briefly address the crowd gathered outside City Hall.

“I want to tell you that I will continue to meet and listen to people,” she said. “We will not change things overnight.”

4:26pm – Demonstrators are now meeting with Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best. There are reports that Durkan will come outside to address the crowd of protesters directly.

3:54pm – Several streets in downtown Seattle are closed.

3:37pm – Protesters have arrived outside City Hall in downtown Seattle. Watch the KIRO 7 feed here. 

3:23pm – Protesters are now at 4th and James

3:05pm – Protesters in Seattle are marching toward City Hall through downtown to deliver a petition to defund the Seattle Police Department.

2:58pm – Seattle protesters are marching through downtown, now on James Street.

2:39pm – Washington State Patrol has shut down I-5 through downtown Seattle – SR 520 to I-90.

2:25pm – Protesters who were gathered for the rally have left Cal Anderson Park, starting to march.

2:07pm – One of the speakers at today’s rally is Nikkita Oliver, who was a candidate for Seattle Mayor in 2017.

1:30pm – Wednesday’s rally and march has now started in Cal Anderson Park. It’s unclear at this time where the march will move, although in past days Westlake in downtown Seattle has frequently played host to protesters.

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