Crime & Safety

Photos: May Day 2018 In Seattle Turns Out Peaceful

For the first time in years, the biggest event of May Day 2018 was actually the labor march.

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SEATTLE, WA - May Day 2018 turned out to be a more peaceful affair than in past years. Seattle police made one arrest early in the day after a masked man threw a rock at the Amazon Spheres building, but there were no clashes between police and demonstrators.

The main event of the day was the 19th El Comite March for Immigrant and Workers Rights, which drew hundreds of demonstrators to downtown Seattle for a rally. The march got underway around 3 p.m. at Judkins Park in the Central District.

The El Comite march ended at the intersection of 2nd and Spring, where demonstrators served a symbolic notice of eviction to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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A demonstration staged by a the right wing Patriot Prayer and Proud Boys groups at Westlake Park was tiny. The right-wingers marched to Capitol Hill - perhaps hoping to meet up with antifascist protesters - without incident. Similary, antifascists marched around downtown and Capitol Hill, but literally got on a light rail train and went home around 6 p.m.

Seattle police reported one arrest. Around 1:30 p.m., a man wearing a mask threw a rock at the Amazon Spheres buildings. Police from around the region - Renton, Redmond, Bellevue, Tukwila, King County - watched over the various groups, but neither tear gas nor blast balls were deployed.

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Here are some photos from May Day 2018 in Seattle:

The El Comite march paired traditional union workers with activists from across the spectrum - from Democratic Socialists of America to anti-deportation activists.

As in marches past, the CeAtl Tonalli Aztec dancers led the El Comite march.

As the El Comite march snaked through the International District and the Central District, workers still worked - and watched the march, some recording it on video.
SEIU 775 represents nursing and in-home care workers around Puget Sound.
Demonstrators marching for rights of sex workers. The U.S. Department of Justice recently shut down the website Backpage.com, which many sex workers used as a safe way to find jobs.
Police from around Puget Sound came to Seattle to help monitor crowds.
Althought the El Comite march was for workers, it was also for immigrants. The march ended with a protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation actions.

Just before 6 p.m., a contingent of anti-fascist demonstrators headed from the Westlake area to Captiol Hill. Here they are passing by a cat cafe along Pine Street. The cats, seated on fluffy pillows, were unfazed.

About 15 minutes later, the anti-fascists made it to the Capitol Hill light rail station. They all bought light rail fare and took the train north to the University of Washington station. That was essentially the end of May Day 2018.
Here's the heinous Donald Trump guy posing with local police.

Photos by Neal McNamara/Patch

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