Expect 'Severe' Traffic In Bellevue Friday During DeVos Protests

BELLEVUE, WA - Bellevue police are advising workers to leave work early in anticipation of a large protest in the downtown area this afternoon. People converging on the Hyatt Regency Bellevue, where Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will appear, will likely cause especially bad traffic, Bellevue police are saying.

Teachers' unions and other groups are planning to protest against DeVos; that protest will include speeches from figures like Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Seattle Councilwoman Kshama Sawant.

Meanwhile, the state Republican party is planning a counter-demonstration in support of DeVos.

Police are closing Bellevue Way between Northeast 8th Street to Northeast 10th Street from about 4 to 8 p.m.

Image via Nati Harnik/Associated Press