Dori: Seattle politicians are thrilled to crush tradition

If downtown traditions are becoming too difficult to deal with, KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson has simple advice for Seattle residents: Don’t go.

“Nothing says Christmas like chanting about racist cops,” Dori said, following the Black Lives Matter protests in downtown Seattle on Black Friday.

On Nov. 27, as visitors prepared for Westlake Center’s annual tree lighting ceremony, Black Lives Matter protesters marched through downtown, disrupting stores such as Forever 21 and Macy’s before releasing balloons as the tree was lit. The protesters then held a sit-in around the tree. They chanted, “Hey-hey, ho-ho, these racist cops have got to go.”

One mother attending the tree lighting called the annual event a “family holiday function,” and said the protests were “a bit overboard.”

“But what can you do?” the mother told KING 5.

“I’ll tell you what you can do: Don’t go,” Dori said. “If you’re a mom who is not happy with the protesters, don’t go to where the protesters are going to be. You can find other places to celebrate with your family.

“Walk with your dollars,” he added.

Related: Why Dori Monson will not go to downtown Seattle

Mayor Ed Murray said that 99.9 percent of the people downtown respected each other and their activities during Black Friday, whether it was shopping or protesting.

“What I saw this evening were people celebrating lighting the Christmas tree, and people protesting about a very important, the most important, issue this city faces, this nation faces,” Murray told KING 5. “And both sides were respecting each other. That’s what Seattle is about.”

But Dori speculates that Seattle politicians welcome such protests because they are tearing down the old Seattle and its traditions.

“Maybe they’re all so blinded by their ideology, maybe they actually love stuff like this,” Dori alleged. “Maybe they actually get a thrill out of crushing tradition around here, and ushering in an era of new tradition where the annoyed are taking over things.”