University of Kwazulu-Natal

Dialogue And Peaceful Determination Punctuate Seattle No Kings Protest

Bonisiwe Shabane
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dialogue and peaceful determination punctuate seattle no kings protest

On a sun-drenched Saturday, June 14, tens of thousands of Seattleites peacefully gathered at Cal Anderson Park and marched through the city to the Seattle Center for a demonstration. The atmosphere was one of determination, punctuated by the rustle of handmade signs and the murmur of anticipation. As the crowd swelled, a sense of community solidified, transcending individual differences. Seattle Police Outreach and Engagement Team (POET) officers took time to connect with organizers in advance and during the large event, ensuring the route was safe and clear. Repeatedly throughout the day, people stopped officers to thank them or ask about POET, a group of around 10 specially trained SPD officers that provide enhanced cooperation, conversation, and coordination with the community. The march began slowly, a river of people of all ages flowing from the park’s heart, down Pine Street, and weaving through city streets.

There were no confrontations or property destruction — only the rhythmic shuffle of feet, conversation, occasional guitar playing, and chants echoing off the buildings. Parents pushed strollers, friends walked arm-in-arm, and individuals marched with heads held high, their collective presence a powerful statement. Three hours later, the almost two-mile procession began arriving at the Seattle Center, filling the expanse near the Space Needle with a mosaic of colors and faces. The energy remained one of hopeful solidarity, a testament to the city’s commitment to dialogue and change through peaceful protest. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) prevents crime, enforces laws, and supports quality public safety by delivering respectful, professional, and dependable police services. SPD operates within a framework that divides the city into five geographical areas called "precincts".

These precincts define east, west, north, south, and southwest patrol areas, with a police station in each. SEATTLE — Tens of thousands of people marched peacefully from Cal Anderson Park to Seattle Center on Saturday afternoon during the “No Kings” protest, part of a nationwide demonstration. Protests begin in several western Washington cities, including Seattle, Tacoma, Federal Way, Renton, and Port Orchard. KOMO's Ryan Simms, at the scene of the Cal Anderson protest, described the park as packed with people holding signs as they prepared to listen to speakers. PHOTOS: Thousands gather in Seattle for 'No Kings' protests Seventh district representative Pramila Jayapal took the stage at Cal Anderson Park and became openly emotional while speaking on the political assassination of a Democratic state representative and her spouse in Minnesota.

At least 70,000 demonstrators gathered for the protest, turning the city into a sea of voices calling for change. Tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of Seattle on Saturday, capping a week of protests and growing tension over the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and threats to send ICE to “democrat... Saturday’s protest was one of more than 2,000 “No Kings” rallies held across the country, timed to coincide with the military parade Trump scheduled for the Army’s 250th anniversary and his own birthday. Similar protests were held across Washington — from cities like Spokane and Olympia to smaller towns like Walla Walla. Attendees argued that the president has overstepped the Constitution and wielded presidential authority like a king. In Seattle, marchers gathered at Cal Anderson Park before heading to Seattle Center.

By early afternoon, an unbroken line of protesters stretched from Capitol Hill to the Space Needle, filling the width of the street and covering more than a mile and a half. Officials estimated that more than 70,000 people attended, making the “No Kings” protest among the largest in Seattle history. “We are here to take back our country from any and all pretenders who want to be king,” said U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, speaking to the crowd at Cal Anderson. “We are here to stand up to the tyrants and their enablers who want to bend the nation to them.”

The “No Kings” rallies had been planned for some time, but took on increased significance over the past week and a half after Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids fueled unrest in Los Angeles. Trump responded by deploying troops to the city, an act local officials said only escalated the tension. Protesters fanned across Seattle as part of the national No Kings demonstrations opposing President Donald Trump's immigration raids and ICE policies. No arrests made as of early evening in Seattle, per Sgt. Patrick Michaud. How many people protested in Seattle today?

The Seattle Times says more than 70,000. We know that the main protest extended about two miles, packed with people. This does not include the protesters in other parts of the city and along Aurora Avenue North. Sgt. Michaud says his best guess is tens of thousands of people showed up. Our reporter has seen only six police officers today -- all part of a team that wears polo shirts and talks with protesters, rather than be dressed in combat gear.

These cops are part of POET -- that stands for Police Outreach Engagement Team. They are "trained to speak with organizers and the community before protests, aiming for facilitation, not confrontation," according to the police department's blotter blog. This is outstanding. Well done peaceful Seattle protesters and well done Seattle Police! The POET officers are exactly what policing should be. I am so very proud to be from here and still reside here.

This isn't the whole story, though. During the afternoon, a few dozen agitators in black bloc committed assaults outside the ICE facility in Tukwila, and later in the evening, protesters downtown started lighting fires in the streets again and attacking... Neither group of rioters faced consequences, so they'll be emboldened to do it yet again. We encourage the thoughtful sharing of information and ideas. We expect comments to be civil and respectful, with no personal attacks or offensive language. We reserve the right to delete any comment.

© Blogger template The Professional Template II by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009 Muscles on fire, feet swollen and throbbing with pain, my mother woke up Sunday morning following Saturday's "No Kings" march and rally feeling every bit of her 80 years on earth. For her, the 2-and-a-half-mile walk beginning at Cal Anderson Park and ending at the Seattle Center was worth the temporary ache. The pain didn't matter. The week had already seen the Trump administration deploy the National Guard to supposedly quell protests in Los Angeles. Here in Seattle, police used tear gas on protesters and arrested eight people at the Henry M.

Jackson Federal Building during an anti-ICE rally on Wednesday. Not to mention reports that ICE activated "elite special tactical units" in five liberal cities, including Seattle. Saturday began with news of the killing of Minnesota state Rep. ​​Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Somehow, all the carnage and tragedy just felt like another week in the United States we've come to know — a country where calamity is not an exception, but a routine. A nation so desensitized that the unimaginable no longer stuns.

Where the first instinct at the thought of my mom joining a protest is not hope but fear at the thought of what might happen to an 80-year-old Black woman should the police decide... In this version of America, violence isn't the breakdown of the system. It is the system. In truth, I found myself, like my father and my sister, envisioning a moment during the protests when someone, emboldened by ego or gripped by rage, might ignite a match of violence. Not out of strategy, but out of disregard: for consequences, for community, for the lives they'd leave scorched. But what I carried was more than fear.

It was something colder: Distrust. And in the end, it didn't matter. Not because over 70,000 people came together in peace, purpose, and care for one another. It didn't matter because my mother had already told me she wasn't afraid. That she had prayed to El Shaddai, as she calls God, with the certainty of someone who's been in this country long enough to know its violence and still believe in its aspirations of... SEATTLE — Saturday marked the start of the "No Kings" protests, with thousands of gatherings scheduled nationwide - and at least 80 of those are being promoted across Washington.

Just a few of the protests scheduled for Saturday in western Washington include Cal Anderson Park and the University of Washington's Red Square in Seattle. At least 70,000 demonstrators gathered for the protest, turning the city into a sea of voices calling for change. Others are at People’s Park in Tacoma and the Bainbridge Ferry Terminal. KOMO News will be updating this story throughout the day as the events progress. At the University of Washington, more protesters gathered for their own “No Kings” rally. It contrasted with the UW Commencement just down past the fountain at Husky Stadium.

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