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Police arrested 23 people during a protest of an anti-trans rally in Seattle.
Far-right Christian group Mayday USA held a rally in a queer part of town. It didn't go well.
A Washington far-right Christian rally in Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park—a space long considered sacred ground for the city’s LGBTQ+ community—ended in violence and 23 arrests on Saturday. The rally, organized by Spokane-based Mayday USA as part of its national #DontMessWithOurKids tour, was met by a massive counterprotest denouncing its anti-trans and anti-abortion rhetoric.
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Seattle police said they arrested 22 adults for assault and obstruction and one juvenile for obstruction after clashes erupted between the two groups. According to the Seattle Police Department’s official blotter, officers initially responded around 1:30 p.m. PDT after witnessing protesters throwing objects. Police reported being assaulted while making arrests and deployed pepper spray during further confrontations. Troopers from the Washington State Patrol arrived later in the afternoon to assist. One officer was hospitalized and released.
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Local blog Capitol Hill Seattle, which closely covers neighborhood developments, reports that tensions escalated when a line of bike officers advanced on the crowd using their bicycles and batons. Protesters accused police of escalating a largely peaceful demonstration, where community members had gathered to reject what they saw as a targeted assault on queer public space.
CHS reported the rally included music, prayer, speeches opposing gender-affirming care, and a donation bucket passed among attendees. Nearby, LGBTQ+ residents and advocates danced, sang, and held signs in defense of trans youth and reproductive rights.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell responded after the chaos with a statement Saturday evening, saying the rally was held “to provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs inherently opposed to our city’s values.” He alleged that “anarchists” infiltrated the counterprotest and incited violence, leading to arrests and the early closure of the rally. Harrell announced that both the Seattle Parks Department and the Seattle Police Department will conduct reviews of the permit process and crowd control response.
Harrell reaffirmed the city’s commitment to its LGBTQ+ residents, while critics argued that the event should never have been allowed in Capitol Hill’s queer core.
