Seattle May Day considered successful, but why allow anarchists?
May 2, 2014, 12:12 PM | Updated: May 3, 2014, 10:22 pm
Despite 10 arrests and minor vandalism, the Seattle Police Department is declaring this year’s May Day a success.
Interim police chief Harry Bailey said any vandalism or violence is too much, but noted mayhem was relatively minor compared to years previous.
But the question remains as to why so-called anarchists were allowed to wander aimlessly around the city for hours Thursday night.
“That’s going to be a city decision. Seattle has a history of allowing unpermitted marches provided the marches are safe and they’re not endangering anyone or any property,” Assistant Chief Paul McDonagh said at a Friday news conference.
Calls to the mayor’s office seeking an explanation for why they’re allowed have not been returned.
The march, starting at 6 p.m., wove from Seattle Central Community College on Capitol Hill to 2nd Avenue, over to Broad Street, to areas of South Lake Union, and then back up toward Capitol Hill.
The group congregated around 9 p.m. on Broadway where people started a bonfire, lit fireworks, and yelled at officers.
Damage ranged from a cracked bus window to a dented BMW convertible. Many businesses targeted on previous May Days spent the morning boarding up windows and preparing hired security ahead of a potential repeat of violence.
Earlier Thursday, hundreds of people peacefully marched from Judkins Park to Westlake in the 14th Annual May Day March for Workers and Immigrant Rights, organized by El Comite. It was one of many around the U.S. on May 1, International Workers’ Day.
