May Day 2017 In Seattle: Trump Supporters Confront Left-Wing Protesters

SEATTLE, WA - May Day 2017 in Seattle was a mostly peaceful day with only a handful of arrests and no property damage. The multiple marches and demonstrations in Seattle stood in contrast to May Day events in Portland and Olympia, where police dealt with riot-like conditions. Seattle police arrested five people, compared to nine in Olympia, and 24 in Portland.

The only trouble came when right and left-wing demonstrators clashed in Westlake Park in the evening hours. A group of pro-Donald Trump demonstrators clad in homemade armor took over Westlake Park for a brief time, shouting down "antifa" (or anti-fascist) demonstrators and declaring that they had reclaimed May Day in Seattle for conservatives. The opposing sides yelled at each other, but violence was limited to some shoving and the destruction of a few protest signs.

In one remarkable moment, the two sides shared some marijuana. One demonstrator waded into the middle of the crowd, poured a handful of marijuana onto the back of a placard, and began rolling joints.

The largest single event of the day was the Immigrant and Worker's Rights rally, which attracted several thousand people. The march - championing the rights of immigrants and working people - was entirely peaceful as it cut across a huge section of the city from the Central District to the Seattle Center.

Horizon Shine, 37, of Seattle, was standing outside the packed Washington State Labor Council building along Jackson Street wearing a replica wind energy turbine on his back. He was part of a float for SolutionaryRail.org, which promotes green energy through rail infrastructure. He said that fighting for environmental causes goes hand-in-hand with labor and other struggles of the day.

"When we're fighting for justice and human rights, it's for everyone," he said of the meaning of May Day.

Over 1,000 people marched in the protest representing causes as diverse as a movement to stop a new youth detention center to unionizing workers. As the protest passed by Seattle University, adjunct professors Anne Hepfer and Jerome Veith were among a group trying to spread awareness about an effort to unionize the college's adjunct staff.

Three years ago, the adjuncts voted for a union, but have been locked in a legal battle with the college over the issue ever since. Hepfer and Veith say the professors perform many of the same duties as tenured faculty, and have the same level of education, but get paid less, and don't have job security.

"We want to be able to at least afford rent," Veith said.

At one point, the march passed by the King County Youth Services Center. In 2012, voters approved the construction of a new youth jail, but there has been robust opposition to it. Jessica Ramirez was part of a group stationed outside the jail trying to spread awareness about the effort to stop its construction. She said the effort was targeted at King County Executive Dow Constantine.

"We're letting him know if he chooses to act in a certain way, the citizens of King County don't agree," she said.

The youth jail was the site of a peaceful demonstration later in the evening. Mayoral candidate Nikkita Oliver read poetry outside the building, and the demonstration lasted from about 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

---

At one point, the march passed by on-ramps to I-5. Washington State Patrol officers in full riot gear stood guard to make sure no one entered the freeway to shut it down - but no one did. Some protesters stopped to shake hands and thank state police for standing guard.

At around 3:30 p.m., the march passed two blocks north of the Westlake area, where several dozen pro-Donald Trump demonstrators were gathered. The conservative activists held flags promoting Trump, as well as American flags featuring a blue stripe, which is a show of support for law enforcement.

The conservative activists came to Seattle, they said, to make a safe space for other conservatives. But they were also there to antagonize "antifa" protesters.

Speaking to the conservatives, organizer Joey Gibson told his comrades that they were there to take Seattle back on May Day.

"May Day is supposed to be so scary for conservatives," Gibson told the crowd. Gibson is head of the Vancouver (Washington) group Patriot Prayer. "Never let fear control your lives."

The pro-Trump demonstrators conducted two marches through the downtown area. During the first march, a lone woman, Caroline Gallegos, walked among the pro-Trump demonstrators holding a sign that read, "Donald Trump Is A Fugly Slut." As she marched, the pro-Trump demonstrators heckled her, asking, "If Trump is a slut, are you?"

After a second march to the International District, chanting slogans like "USA, USA!," and "Anti-fascists are statists" along the way, the conservative demonstrators returned to Westlake and announced that they would be heading home. But that's when conflict broke out. Pro and anti-Trump demonstrators got into shouting matches, and one person was arrested after allegedly throwing an object at a pro-Trump demonstrator.

The conservative demonstrators seemed primed for battle. As they stood on the stage at Westlake, they taunted left-wing protesters, calling them "snowflakes" and asking, "Are you triggered?" Yet, the conservatives were dressed for battle in body armor. A few were carrying weapons like clubs and wooden rods, and some were wearing costumes like a wolf's head and a helmet made to look like a red skull.

One demonstrator - who declined to provide his name - was standing with a group of friends who were dressed like a cross between Mad Max and motocross (plus respirators). The demonstrator said he and his friends had dressed in armor and brought helmets because they assumed they would have to defend themselves against left-wing protesters. However, the group said they had never been involved in a protest-riot before.

Another pair - dressed in camouflage and holding shields plastered with American flags - said they were preparing for anything, and that they had witnessed violent protests in Berkeley, Calif.

"We don't know what [left-wing protesters] are capable of," said one of the men before dashing off to join a march.

In total, police arrested five people near Westlake on Monday: a 26-year-old Olympia man for attempted assault; a 30-year-old Olympia man for unlawful possession of a weapon (a knife); a 51-year-old Colorado man for obstruction; a 27-year-old Seattle man for obstruction; and a 19-year-old Seattle man for misdemeanor theft (he stole another demonstrator’s flag, police said).

At 8:30 p.m., police began clearing Westlake Park, but even that went smoothly. They announced a dispersal order and gave everyone gathered five minutes to leave. Police then used their bicycles to push crowds back and out of the park. They did not have to use any pepper spray.

After that, the crowds dissipated, and there were no further reports of violence or protests in Seattle on Monday.

Earlier on Monday during a press briefing, Seattle police Capt. Chris Fowler described what a successful May Day would look like, in his opinion.

"Everybody can get their message out with no acts of violence and no property damage," he said.

Images via Neal McNamara/Patch.com