Seattle police officers made multiple arrests as Antifa attempted to stage a protest near the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in the city. The arrests of multiple Antifa members ultimately prevented the group from carrying out a plan to conduct a riot on Election Day.
According to The Post Millennial, Seattle police officers had a major presence on Tuesday in the Seattle neighborhood where Antifa took control during the 2020 Black Lives Matter riots. The outlet noted that almost 100 Seattle Police Department officers followed Antifa around the neighborhood after protesters illegally marched in the street and vandalized property.
The Post Millennial reported that Antifa arrived at roughly 6 p.m. at Cal Anderson Park in black uniforms. The protesters had gas masks, goggles, helmets, and other riot gear. According to The Post Millennial, the protesters damaged park property with pro-Palestinian graffiti.
The Seattle Police Department shared pictures of the property damage caused on Tuesday by Antifa and noted that protesters were warned by loud speakers to stop damaging property and illegally marching in the streets. The Seattle Police Department also noted that there were at least five arrests made as a result of Antifa activity.
A Seattle flier shared on X, formerly Twitter, shows that Antifa had urged members of the community to “show their displeasure in the streets” on Election Day. The group claimed that a win for either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris would be a “win for genocide abroad and a militarized police state at home.”
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According to The Post Millennial, Seattle police officers began making arrests after the Antifa members refused to leave the streets and stop damaging property at the park. When the Antifa members continued to disregard police warnings, law enforcement officials made additional arrests. A video of the confrontation between Antifa and Seattle police officers was shared on X.
The Post Millennial reported that after the initial arrests, Antifa appeared to regroup and continue vandalizing property and marching in the streets.
Following Antifa around on bikes and in police cars, Seattle police officers told the protesters, “Our intent here is to get back to a normal First Amendment event without criminal activity. The only way we’re going to interfere is if criminal acts are committed, or if you interfere with the police taking action. Our purpose here is to make sure that this is a safe event for everybody and to keep the streets clear.”
As police officers arrested more Antifa members, other protesters made threats against the police, saying, “This f-cking neighborhood would kill you if we had the chance,” and, “Get the f-ck out of here, pigs! Go f-cking die.”
