Tag: seattle

FBI Probing Allegations Of ‘Targeted Violence’ Against Religious Groups in Seattle: Official

The FBI is investigating after officials said a religious event in Seattle was disrupted by violence, a top FBI official said on May 27.

“We have asked our team to fully investigate allegations of targeted violence against religious groups at the Seattle concert,” Dan Bongino, the FBI’s deputy director, said on social media platform X. “Freedom of religion isn’t a suggestion.”

The office of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell did not respond to a request for comment by publication time.

Organizers said the May 24 event was held at Cal Anderson Park in support of “the sanctity of human life, the sacrality of biological gender, the importance of the nuclear family, and the right to freedom of speech and religion.”

They said the movement organizing the event stands against indoctrination of children “by a liberal, political, and sexual agenda that seeks to destroy their God-given identities.”

Counterprotesters, including the Freedom Socialist Party, said their demonstration was meant to “keep your bibles off our bodies.”

Clashes at the event resulted in 23 arrests, the Seattle Police Department said. One juvenile was released. The rest of those arrested were charged with assault and obstruction.

The White House Faith Office said in a statement on Tuesday that it condemned “the violent disruption of Seattle’s MayDay USA worship event.”

“We affirm the fundamental rights to free speech and religious freedom for all Americans, as protected by federal law. Public officials must protect the inalienable rights of all citizens, regardless of their faith or religious beliefs. We urge the City of Seattle to uphold these rights at all faith-based events, safeguarding the ability of people of faith to gather and express their beliefs without fear of harassment or violence,” the office said.

After the event, Harrell, a Democrat, called it a “far-right rally” that he said was meant “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.”

He said that anarchists infiltrated counterprotesters and “inspired violence,” which led to officers making arrests and asking organizers to end the event early. The request was accepted.

Organizers said in a statement to news outlets that “under Mayor Harrell’s leadership, the city of Seattle has continued its spiral into lawlessness and dysfunction while the First Amendment rights of citizens to peacefully assemble has been disregarded.”

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When City Hall Chooses the Mob

In Seattle last weekend, violence broke out—not from the pulpit, but from the pavement.

Pastors and churchgoers, gathered for a permitted worship event in a city park, found themselves besieged by a black-clad mob who attempted to tear down fencing, rush the stage, and shout them down.

The attackers were not counter-protesters in any constitutional sense of the word. They were masked militants whose tactics have become a hallmark of Antifa: organized, aggressive, and aimed not at persuasion but suppression.

To their credit, the Seattle police intervened. Arrests were made. Barricades held. For a moment, law reasserted itself in a city too long governed by hesitation.

Then came the mayor.

Bruce Harrell, elected to lead but seemingly content to triangulate, did not respond with praise for law enforcement or a reaffirmation of Seattle’s civic obligations to neutrality and free expression.

Instead, he questioned the Christian group’s presence—why they had been issued a permit and why their event had not been relocated to a “less provocative” area.

Translated: The fault lies not with the mob—heaven forbid—but those who dared to speak within earshot of it.

This goes beyond appeasement or failed civic leadership. The mayor effectively signaled that the rule of law in Seattle is conditional—and that those who assault Christians may expect indulgence, while those who dare to preach in public may expect scrutiny.

Harrell’s statement is a masterclass in moral evasion. It nods toward “anarchists,” then downplays their aggression with sanitized language like “infiltrated” and “disrupted”—as if masked militants had simply wandered in with the breeze.

Rather than commend his officers or affirm the constitutional right of peaceful assembly, Harrell issued a statement directing the Parks Department to reexamine the permitting process and urging the police to produce an after-action report focused on crowd management tactics and the arrests themselves.

The subtext was unmistakable: those arrested may soon be recast as misunderstood protesters, and the officers who protected the event could find themselves under internal review.

In Seattle, even enforcing the law can become grounds for investigation—if you defend the wrong group.

The mayor then implies that the real danger lies in “far-right” speech held in a historically LGBTQ+ neighborhood. In other words, the public square is now zoned for ideology.

Speech rights may exist on paper but are conditional—revocable if your message strays from the orthodoxy or irritates Seattle’s cringeworthy Mayor LaTrivia, always eager with bureaucratic balm for the mob’s bruised feelings.

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Seattle mayor condemns Christian concert as ‘far-right rally’ after Antifa militants stage violent protest

A Christian rally and concert hosted by the conservative group MAYDAY USA in Cal Anderson Park on Saturday afternoon descended into chaos after Antifa militants showed up to clash with attendees, resulting in 23 arrests.

The event, branded by organizers as the “#DontMessWithOurKids” rally, began around 2 pm and drew the attention of the radicals for its mission, including defending the “sanctity of human life,” “biological gender,” and “freedom of religion.”

Antifa and left-wing counter-protesters showed up in park, the same location of 2020’s deadly Capitol Hill protest (CHOP), accusing MAYDAY USA of promoting “fascist family values” and holding the rally in a historically LGBTQ+ neighborhood to incite a reaction. Protesters, including members of Radical Women Seattle and the Freedom Socialist Party, chanted, sang, and waved signs bearing messages such as “Keep Your Bibles Off Our Bodies.”

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Christian Rally In Seattle Park Attacked By Violent Woke Mob

The year of 2020 was an unmitigated disaster for the US for numerous reasons.  With so many chaotic events happening simultaneously, one can be forgiven if they have completely forgotten about the bizarre CHAZ/CHOP takeover of a section of Seattle by woke activists for around a month.  The protest led to extensive violence and some deaths, but was widely supported by city officials.  It was also a wellspring of hilarious memes as ignorant protesters tried in vain to establish a self sustaining progressive community complete with socialist garden spaces.

Seattle is one of the few leftist enclaves in the US still clinging to the old days of BLM and covid mandates, and they are back in the news again.  This time because of an organized and violent mob attack on a peaceful Christian rally this week at Cal Anderson Park.  The rally, held by a group called Mayday USA, spoke on pro-life issues and against transgender hormones and surgeries for children. 

A group called “Radical Women Seattle” explained their protest of the event:

“Aimed to counter the well-funded anti-trans, anti-queer event that is led by far-right Christian activists. The Mayday USA rally in Seattle is provocatively being held in the heart of the Queer community. It is part of a 5-city national tour. Reactionary preacher and former Spokane Valley state representative Matt Shea, of the “On Fire Ministries,” is one of the prominent supporters…”

Freedom Socialist Party leader Doreen McGrath stated:

“We are encouraging everyone to come out and show their solidarity…Attacks of this kind need to be met with protest every time…”

In other words, a Christian group meeting in a public park is considered an “attack”.

By mid-day the mob engaged in a series of violent actions on the Christian rally, forcing police to intervene.  At least 23 activists were arrested on charges of assault and obstruction. 

After a decade of unhinged woke activism in the US most people are now well aware that the political left’s idea of “free speech” is highly one-sided.  They believe that free speech laws give them the right to disrupt and even violently shut down other people’s free speech.  They think that the 1st Amendment gives them the right to do whatever they want whenever they want.  This is simply not reality.

Furthermore, the political left argues that the right to disrupt is supported by the content of their opponent’s speech.  Meaning, if a person or group is presenting conservative or populist views (what they call “hate speech”), this justifies violence as a tool to shut that speech down. 

This is a very convenient mindset because it allows them to rationalize any malicious tactic.  All they have to do is label their enemies “fascists” and the rules of civil order go out the window.  This is why leftists are unlikely to win a majority of elections at any point in the near future and it’s also why the American public is increasingly tempted to return the favor and visit violence on woke activists.

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Seattle Economic Crisis: Proof That Democrat Wealth Taxes Lead To Disaster

To look at the Pacific Northwest today one would never know that 25 years ago the region was an economic powerhouse at the forefront of technology and business innovation.  At the time Portland and Seattle were known for constant rain as well as raining cash, and the “millionaire density” of the Seattle area was at historic highs.  The tech boom and international trade with Asia had created a Silicon Valley of the northern coast.  

Companies like Nike, Starbucks, Microsoft and Amazon established corporate offices and generated tens of thousands of jobs, and many of those jobs were considered high income.  People can debate the overall effects of the population surge to the region; there are many who would argue that Washington and Oregon were better off when they were considered backwoods fishing and lumber states.  That said, it’s undeniable that for a time the Northwest was one of the most desirable and lucrative places to live in the US.  

That’s all gone now.  The wealthy are leaving Seattle like it’s a leper colony and all that’s left are millions of broke activists, poverty stricken residents and illegal immigrants.  Some blame the constant riots or the steady stream of welfare recipients. Others say that the draconian covid mandates caused people to jump ship.  However, a primary factor in businesses (and money) leaving the city was the institution of a progressive “Payroll Expense Tax”.  

The PET is a quarterly tax approved by the Seattle City Council in 2020 in the middle of the Covid hysteria.  It increases taxes on businesses depending on how many employees they hire and how much their employees get paid.  In other words, it punishes companies that hire more people and pay them a good salary.  The conditions of the PET are very similar to what Democrats say they want for their “Wealth Tax” – An extra tax on top earners and large companies beyond the income tax.  

Democrats were high on their own supply in the early 2020s and in their fervor to destroy conservatives they instituted every suicidal policy imaginable, from defunding police to near-zero prosecution for property theft under $1000.  It’s not surprising that wealth taxes were established at the same time to “stick it to the capitalists”.  What they seem to have forgotten, though, is that communist tactics don’t work if people and businesses are able to walk away, and that’s exactly what has happened in Seattle.

Larger businesses are packing up and leaving the Northwest as quickly as they arrived.  Amazon, Meta, Google and Expedia are the most prominent examples of companies exiting the Seattle labor market and hiring elsewhere to avoid the Payroll Tax, but there are numerous others. 

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Drama as mysterious black object is spotted hovering in skies above Seattle

A mysterious black ring spotted hovering in the skies above Seattle over the weekend sparked drama throughout the city. 

The ominous black circle, which sat in between the clouds, quickly caused widespread speculation and confusion as people took to social media to share clips and images of the odd occurrence. 

Some suggested the ring was a rare weather event, a massive swarm of insects, or even an extraterrestrial spotting. 

Meanwhile, others speculated that it appeared after fireworks were set off at Lumen Field in Washington state for the Supercross dirt bike racing championship event. 

‘Definitely aliens,’ one online user commented. ‘Leftover tornado,’ said another. 

While many were convinced it could have been weather related, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service told FOX13 the ring was not the result of a weather incident. 

Video posted on Reddit showed fans piled into the stadium as a pyrotechnics machine went off, creating a large fireball that eventually turned into a plume of smoke. 

The smoke then made its way up and created what appeared to be a dark ring, similar to photos circulating online. 

Another image showed the circle hovering near Seattle’s iconic Space Needle. 

Lumen Field posted a similar clip on their Instagram page showing the same smoke rising into the sky. 

‘Let the smoke rise. It’s go time,’ the stadium captioned its post. 

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Seattle BLM leader arrested for dealing fentanyl after Jay Inslee granted him clemency

One of the leaders of Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County has been arrested on almost a dozen drug and weapons charges after being granted clemency by former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee in 2019.

The Lynwood Times first reported the arrest of Percy Levy, 54 during a traffic stop by the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force after a 16-month investigation.

After a warrant was served on the suspect’s home, officers found 2,818 grams of powder cocaine, 14.7 grams of rock cocaine, and 556 grams of fentanyl, enough to kill approximately 278,000, one-third the population of Snohomish County. Packaging material and a digital scale were also found, likely indicating distribution. A handgun was also located in the house.

He was charged with 11 Class B Felony charges, including two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, and eight separate counts of possession of controlled substances with an attempt to sell.

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Seattle state-funded non-profit promotes bondage, ‘jack-off clubs’

Tens of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money were given to a Seattle foundation that supports bondage programming and “jack-off clubs” where members can “share masturbation and mutual touch in an open, group setting.” Volunteers, calling themselves WA DOGE, revealed that Washington’s Arts Commission gave the funds to the Pan Eros Foundation, an organization that “celebrates and cultivates consent & sexuality through the arts & education for all.”

The organization received $2,000 in the 2023-2025 biennium, according to the Evergreen State’s “open checkbook” website. Tax forms reveal that the organization received $60,000 in “government grants.”

One of the ongoing programs listed on the organization’s calendar is Rain City Jacks “a traditional jack-off club.” According to the event listing, calling it an “associated event,” “Rain City Jacks hosts regular, private events for its members to share masturbation and mutual touch in an open, group setting. Membership is available to adult men who desire and value what we have to offer, respect the Jacks culture of mutual respect and consent, and adhere to the RCJ Code of Conduct.”

Membership is required for participation in RCJ events and Rain City Jacks “welcomes all adult men, including trans men, regardless of age, race, ability, physicality, sexual orientation, or other subjective external traits.”

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Seattle’s new $20 minimum wage claims 6th restaurant casualty since New Year

Seattle’s new $20 minimum wage for 2025 has caused a 6th restaurant to close since the new year.

Pike Place Market bakery The Confectional closed on Sunday after 18 years in business.

Owner Destiny Sund told KIRO News Radio, “I wanted my team to have a wonderful holiday season, so I didn’t mention to them that we would be closing until after New Year’s Day. So this has been a long week for all of us at The Confectional.”

The minimum wage for all employees in the city limits, regardless of business size, jumped to $20.76 on January 1. Last year, if a worker earned at least $2.72 per hour in medical benefits or tips, the business only had to pay its employees $17.25 per hour, but now, for those businesses that featured tips, the change to the minimum wage was a 20 percent increase. The Emerald City’s increase is $4 more than Washington State’s minimum wage requirement.

Sund added, “That allowed businesses 50 employees or under to subtract $2.00 from the minimum wage. If they could make it up in tips and or benefits. And my employees did make that up in tips.”

She continued, “And just doing the math with the additional increase and the loss of the tip credit, it would cost my business an additional $18,000. And that’s just not sustainable.”

At least five other restaurants in Seattle have closed or are closing just days after the city council’s new minimum wage law went into effect.

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Seattle Public Schools Sees Alarming 20% Spike In Student Homelessness After 30% Rise Last Year

Seattle Public Schools is seeing an alarming rise in the number of its students experiencing homelessness. 

As of October, the district reported 2,235 students experiencing homelessness since the school year began, a nearly 20% increase from last year’s 30% rise, KUOW/NPR reported. 

Homelessness has reached record levels nationwide, according to a recent HUD report. In Washington state, over 41,000 students experienced homelessness during the 2023-24 school year, a nearly 15% increase.

Jenny Allen, a McKinney-Vento support worker in Seattle, said rising costs and limited affordable housing are straining families, while the district has seen a rise in immigrants and refugees, particularly from South America.

The KUOW/NPR report said that at Dunlap Elementary, Rogers Greene, an eight-year veteran supporting unhoused students, now assists a growing number of families fleeing conflicts in countries like Ukraine and Afghanistan.

“I can’t imagine. You’re just dropped somewhere and then figure it out — figure out the language, figure out how you’re going to live, where you’re going to live, how you’re going to eat. It’s survival. So it’s important for us to have those connections, relationships, and work through the language barrier,” he said. 

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