Peaceful protest winds through Seattle, ends at waterfront

About three dozen protesters marched through downtown Seattle Friday evening as part of the United Hood March.

The protesters ended at Myrtle Edwards Park on the waterfront.

“We are tired of waking up to black men, women, children dead because of violence in our community, or police brutality,” an online flier for the march states.

The flier from the United Gang Mambers of Seattle has also been posted on anarchists Facebook pages.

The march aimed to address violence in Seattle communities as well as police brutality, locally and nationally.

“Myself and another brother who’s from the Southend, had gotten together around the time of the Baltimore situation, and we’ve just been thinking about the big picture,” march organizer, and member of the Deuce 0, Amir Islam told The Stranger. “There’s been barbecues, trying to feed folks, local kids, homeless people. There’s basketball events (between rival hoods), we’re gonna keep it going. We feel like it’s a movement, the United Hood Movement.”

“We can’t ignore that the police have been killing us, but we also can’t ignore that a 2-year-old had just got killed in Kent,” he told the Stranger. “We care about Black people.”

Seattle police were present along the march’s route. Police said they would treat it equally to other downtown demonstrations, according to a department source.

As for the attendees, Whitcomb said, “There are a number of people who affiliate with gangs; that doesn’t become their sole identity, there are a number of factors. It is such a complex and nuanced reality.”