By CARLEEN JOHNSON AND DAN MCCALEB | THE CENTER SQUARE
More than 500 Christians gathered outside Seattle City Hall Tuesday evening to protest what they say are the anti-faith policies of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and the Seattle City Council, just days after 23 people were arrested when counter-protesters interrupted a rally Saturday focused on protecting children from transgender ideologies.
All of the arrests on Saturday were among counter protesters who also injured Seattle Police.
Counter-protesters also gathered Tuesday evening but were prevented by police from interrupting the main permitted protest. There still were skirmishes between trans rights activists who tried to force their way inside the police barricades. At least two counter-protesters were placed into custody after confronting an independent conservative journalist who was filming their activity, video posted to X showed.
The Center Square witnessed at least three other arrests including protesters wearing gas masks.
Inside the permitted event, various Christian church leaders sang songs of worship and talked of loving those who they don’t agree with. Hundreds of Christians had to be escorted through security into the event, as counter-protesters attempted to block the entrance at 4th Avenue and Cherry Street.
The religious organization Pursuit Northwest hosted the “Rattle in Seattle” protest Tuesday to “stand against the religious bigotry” of city policies.
Organizers drew loud cheers from the crowd when it was announced that the Trump administration plans to investigate the city of Seattle for its handling of last weekend’s event.
Hundreds of Seattle Police on bike patrol stood behind metal barricades on Tuesday as security for the event guarded the entrance to the westside of city hall along Seattle’s 4th Avenue. The Center Square witnessed three arrests by police as hundreds of trans rights counter-protesters shouted at officers and attempted to push their way into the event.
As the rally on Tuesday wrapped up, rallygoers chanted their thanks to Seattle Police, while on the opposite side of the barricades, protesters were shouting, “I smell bacon,” a reference to the derogatory term of calling police “pigs.”
The city shut down Saturday’s rally at Cal Anderson Park early during the violence. Saturday’s rally was hosted by On Fire Ministries and was in protest of policies that expose children to transgender ideologies. As The Center Square previously reported, Cal Anderson Park is within the Capitol Hill neighborhood – a prominent LGBTQ area.
Mayor Harrell called the Saturday rally far-right and claimed it was held in Capitol Hill to provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that “are inherently opposed to our city’s values.” But the rally’s organizers said that the park was suggested by the mayor’s office. Permitting decisions are made by the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department.
Harrell’s office sent The Center Square an email on Tuesday related to the Saturday protest stating: “Organizers directly explained their provocative thinking around a location for the event when planning for near Pike Place – stressing they would be at ‘antifa’s headquarters’ and ‘where thousands showed up for BLM.’”
As Tuesday’s event wrapped up, Seattle Police had to push back protesters so that rallygoers could safely exit the area, while officers on loudspeakers urged the protesters to vacate the area. An hour after the event ended, at least a hundred trans activist counter-protesters were still gathered on the steps outside city hall, hurling insults at organizers of the Christian event as they packed up their equipment.
“Free speech” applies in Seattle only to everyone except: Heterosexual, white, Christians.
Situationally ironic how it was also heterosexual, white, Christians who initially paid the price for that free speech almost 250 years ago…
Excellent point. Thank You.
Amen SK
Exactly.
what pisses me off is that I’m a gay atheist. They/them are dragging us gay atheists respectability back with they/them.
Seattle has become a sanctuary city for mental illness. The public sector unions are thriving in Seattle.
I pray the excellent medical community of hospitals and clinics see the light and move. Yes, I fully understand the huge expense of any such decision.
Yes, I fully understand that this is wish of the foolish towards success of such prayer. However, the day of decision is coming closer with each such public display of depravity these mature ignorant individuals demonstrate,
“Fish or cut Bait”
Cheers, AMJ
Acts 4:29-30.
Note: There are a lot of gay Christians out there. Said Pope Francis, “Who am I to judge”?
We are not judging gay people just people who physically attack people who peacefully disagree. You whidby are against free speech unless it’s your speech.
There are a lot of gay muslims out there as well. Curiously, the religion the left adores so much does judge them.
And, we all know there are gay Christians. We love and accept them. Love the sinner, hate the sin. That is a concept you leftists cannot seem to understand. A child is incapable of separating the action from the soul, and neither is a leftist.
Why do straight White Christian Nationalists feel so threatened by the LGBTQ community? It’s almost as if they think their hetero marriages are somehow devalued or threatened by it. Are they that insecure in their own relationships that the only way they can shore them up is to run down those of people who are different?
Do you think there were gay Christians in the protesting group?
Could it be the fact that there are way too many queer gay trannies who are not satisfied with their own queer mental condition so they work 24/7 pushing their mental illness to other peoples innocent and unsuspecting children in schools libraries as well as many other social events such as hosting Drag Queen performances at a public paid for family park? If they want to be queer keep it in their “world”.
Take your blinders off and it is easier to understand why.
That video sure looked like a bunch of people feeling threatened!
ANTIFA went up to the Christians knowing their ideologies would upset them. They pissed themselves off on purpose.
Threatened?
What makes you say a group of people who publicly gathered and expressed their beliefs feels threatened? Their actions are the opposite of threatened.
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A very childlike view of the world expressed here. If you do not agree with it, you are threatened by it. Anyone who thinks that needs to grow the F up real fast.
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Additionally, if the people pushing for gay marriage did not admit their final goal is to destroy all marriage, we might believe there is no threat there. But, reality is very different.
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Finally, by your own admission, you feel threatened by people who disagree with you, so you use an anonymous user name on MRAK. To avoid having an AR pointed at you, if I remember your statement correctly. Why do you feel threatened? Perhaps the folks who think marriage is a holy rite between a man and a woman feel that allowing same sex people to marry is diminishing that holy rite.
This proves that transgenderism really is a mental disease.
Gomorrah.
Let it burn.
The Queer/Sexual Deviant Coalition knows what they are doing is in violation of GODS LAW, and the only way they can defend their filthy lifestyle is by the use of violence. We must pray for Their redemption. But we must also never back down from Them. I pity Them as much as I detest Their vile activities.
Intolerance and violence. What the left is all about.
3 most “no religion” cities in America:
1 – Seattle (10% no religion) DOUBLE SF!
2 – S.Francisco (5%)
3 – Boston (4%)
As my friend used to say: “Do the math”