JOHN CURLEY

‘Took 30 seconds for them to mob me’: Brandi Kruse attacked by Antifa during Tukwila protest

Jun 17, 2025, 5:00 AM | Updated: 1:18 pm

“No Kings” demonstrations were held across the country Saturday to protest President Donald Trump, along with several anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rallies, including one in Tukwila. While many were peaceful, tensions escalated in Tukwila, leading to tear gas being deployed by Tukwila Police. Several blockades were set, deterring traffic throughout parts of the city.

Independent journalist Brandi Kruse was there documenting Saturday’s events when she was attacked. She explained on “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio that Antifa members assaulted her outside a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facility.

“It took 30 seconds from the time I arrived for them to call me out, identify me, and to mob me,” Kruse said.

Brandi Kruse details attack at Tukwila protest

Kruse said she was there to cover the protest, but was immediately surrounded.

“At first, they were just dumping water on me, which is assault, but it could be worse. Or, I guess, what I really hope was water,” she shared. “We tried to de-escalate, just walk away. That’s when they started hurling stuff at me from behind.”

Kruse was then sprayed in the face with hornet and wasp killer.

“It was really painful,” she added. “All this is happening, and we continue, with my security, just to try to walk away, and they’re not interested in letting us do that. It was very clear. They were interested in assaulting me. They were interested in shutting me up and stopping my ability to document their criminal conduct.”

Kruse mentioned a man, who appeared to be undercover, came over and said he had video of what happened. However, Kruse said, as soon as the Antifa group realized he wasn’t one of them, they began assaulting him.

“Six or seven Antifa, all black-clad, jumped on him. He’s on the ground, in a fetal position. They’re kicking him. They’re stomping him. Just insane stuff, “she said. “That’s when I told my security, I said, ‘Help him.’ And he jumped in. And that’s when he was threatened. A guy threatened to pull a gun on him.”

Due to the seriousness of the attacks, Kruse and her team filed reports with the Tukwila Police Department.

“These people hide their faces, but we filed a report with the hopes that maybe we can get some better video, we can get some surveillance video, or something that will give us some identifying information on these individuals, specifically a man who threatened us with a gun and then the individual who unleashed the spray into our eyes,” she shared.

Listen to the full conversation below.

Listen to John Curley weekday afternoons from 3 – 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

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