Seattle Anti-Sharia Protest, Counter-Protest In 15 Pictures

SEATTLE, WA - The anti-sharia march in Seattle Saturday - and the much larger counter-protest to it - ended in a flash of violence when right and left-wing demonstrators fought near Occidental Square. But before that, the area outside Seattle's City Hall, where both sides gathered, was the scene of a showdown between two sides of a deep political divide in the U.S. right now.

On one side, aligned with the anti-sharia cause, were members of groups like Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, worshipers of Kek, the alt-right, and Christian conservatives. On the other side were a broad group of left groups from antifascists and anarchists to Democrats, Black Lives Matter activists, socialists, and Veterans For Peace.

Here's how the day played out in 15 pictures.

Saturday's political action began around 9 a.m. at Occidental Square, where 100 or so counter-protesters gathered before marching to City Hall to confront the anti-sharia group.

Jamal Rahman, imam at the Interfaith Community Sanctuary in Seattle, said, "I want to express gratitude to Seattle and Washington state for being a pioneer in meeting discriminatory acts, including the federal travel ban. This is what makes America great."

The counter-protest marched east along South Washington Street and then north on 4th Avenue. At the front of the group was a large orange sign that read "Seattle Stands With Our Muslim Neighbors.

The poster on the right is a reference from the book "Reliance of the Traveller," a book about Sunni Islamic law written in the 14th century by Shihabuddin Abu al-'Abbas Ahmad ibn an-Naqib al-Misri. It was first translated into English in 1991. The book is often held up by the right as a "manual" on sharia, but it is by no means used by a large number of Muslims, especially not American Muslims.

CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group for American Muslims, called the anti-sharia marches (there were more than 20 across the U.S. on Saturday) "a bust" due to the significantly larger counter-protests. Note that the man holding the sign is also holding a bag of pork skins; the Quran asks Muslims to abstain from eating pork.

Anthony Parish, of Kent, organized Seattle's anti-sharia march. Parish can often be seen in downtown Seattle near Westlake holding a sign asking people to "repent."

A man who gave his name as Mark L (left) spoke several times in front of the anti-sharia crowd about religious freedom. The man on the right holding the flag is a member of the right wing Oath Keepers, whose (armed) members provided security for the event. Both Oath Keepers and ACT for America (the national group behind the anti-sharia marches) have been labeled as extremist or hate groups.

The speakers at the anti-sharia rally read stories supposedly written by people had been oppressed by sharia. This man read an item about "honor violence," which refers to killings of women, often for things like engaging in pre-marital sex or adultery. It's also a gross stereotype against Muslims used by the right; President Donald Trump included a provision in his second (and currently suspended) travel ban to track honor killings in the U.S.

This man gave his name as "Murphy," and said he lives south of King County. When asked about sharia by a reporter, he admitted that he didn't know that sharia is a set of principles that Muslims use to live their religion - fasting during Ramadan or not eating pork, for example. He still wished to "debate" sharia with the counter-protesters.

Someone in Seattle City Hall posted these signs in the window overlooking the plaza where the anti-sharia rally was held.

Although technically unrelated to sharia, expedited deportations of undocumented people is a priority for the right. Signs similar to the one held by this man have been found plastered around south Seattle, especially in the South Park neighborhood.

Demonstrators on both sides wore masks. In the top photo, one anti-sharia demonstrator walked around wearing a knight's helmet. In the lower photo, an antifa demonstrator stands among the crowd.

A Trump-supporting "proud boy" who was glitter-bombed by antifa. The antifa members on several occasions doused right-wing demonstrators in silly string and glitter.

The rally ended in a melee as antifa and alt-right protesters came to blows. The two sides seemed to be itching for a fight throughout much of the day. Seattle police deployed pepper spray and arrested three people for obstructing. The violence was brief, however, as most of demonstrators dispersed a few minutes after the scuffles were over.

Images via Neal McNamara/Patch.com