Religious concert moves to Gas Works Park amid safety concerns, First Amendment protections

A religious concert set for Aug. 30 will be held at Gas Works Park in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood after city officials approved a permit, despite public safety concerns tied to past unrest at similar events.

The event, hosted by the group “Let Us Worship, Revive in 2025,” was initially proposed for Cal Anderson Park in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Mayor Bruce Harrell confirmed the relocation Tuesday, stating that the City of Seattle approved the concert and rally because it is protected free speech.

“Everyone has a First Amendment right to make their voices heard, regardless of content or belief,” Harrell said in a joint statement with Seattle Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth. “We are focused on facilitating that right of expression for everyone in our city, while also prioritizing safety.”

The city said the move came after conversations with organizers, who acknowledged Cal Anderson Park’s cultural importance to Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community.

Concerns over the concert stem from a similar faith-based rally in May, also held at Cal Anderson Park, which ended in violent clashes between attendees and counter-protesters. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) reported 23 arrests that day, and at least 30 people were detained. According to SPD, protesters threw items at officers and knocked down fencing. One officer was hospitalized.

One Seattle council member said the May rally, which was hosted by On Fire Ministries, and the scheduled rally are linked.

Last week, the group, Capitol Hill Pride, filed a complaint with the city, alleging police ignored warnings that the May rally posed a high risk for violence.

The Capitol Hill Seattle Blog reported that the May rally was organized to oppose abortion and sex trafficking, while promoting the “nuclear family.” Protesters described it as anti-LGBTQ+, and counter-demonstrators clashed with both participants and police.

Following the rally, Mayor Harrell said “anarchists” had infiltrated the counter-protest and incited violence.

“Seattle is proud of our reputation as a welcoming, inclusive city for LGBTQ+ communities, and we stand with our trans neighbors when they face bigotry and injustice,” Harrell said. “Today’s far-right rally was held here for this very reason – to provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city’s values, in the heart of Seattle’s most prominent LGBTQ+ neighborhood.”

SPD said it will monitor the Gas Works Park event. Park gates will close at 10 p.m., consistent with new security measures implemented earlier this summer.

Follow Luke Duecy on X. Read more of his stories here. Submit news tips here.