Protesters gathered in Seattle last night to demonstrate against the grand jury announcement in Ferguson, Missouri which failed to recommend prosecution of the police officer (Darren Wilson) who killed an African-American man, Michael Brown.
At 6PM demonstrators met at Seattle's Westlake Park, home of the former Occupy Seattle encampment, to protest what they say is an unjust decision by the Ferguson grand jury. At one point Seattle marchers laid down in the street in an act of civil disobedience. Seattle Police Department officers followed the demonstartors all night long as they marched through dowtown, on Capitol Hill and in the Central District.
Protesters at Westlake Park marched to Seattle Central Community College, location of the second Occupy Seattle camp. Here they met with another group who took to the streets in an all night protest.
At 10 PM protetesters attempted to occupy Interstate 5. Police blocked most of the demonstrators but a few of them got onto the freeway. Pepper spray and flash-bang grenades were deployed by SPD. Several arrests were made. Washngton State Patrol troopers were involved in this incident.
Later in the evening there was a major confrontation between approximately 150 protesters and police at 12th Ave and Pine Street. Demonstrators chanted, "Racist police have got to go!", "Don't Shoot me!" and "No Justice, No Peace!"
SPD had already blocked the streets and sidewalks near Capitol Hill's East Precinct in anticipation of a convergence at that location. Riot cops with billy clubs and bicycle cops lined up across the street on Pine to contain the protesters, which only seemed to inspire more anger in the crowd. Ironically, this confrontation actually pulled demonstrators away from the East Precint which was actually only 1/2 block away.
After a long series of confrontations, the Seattle police actually retreated and left the area. The demonstrators cheered jubilantly and considered this a victory. They proceeded to follow the police as they left the area, ending up back in downtown near the site of the original rally.
Seattle's rap/spoken word artist Macklemore joined the protest and marched with the crowd to 12th Ave and Pine. During my interview with him he kept repeating, "I'm just here for Michael Brown."
Protesters reportedly smashed a bank’s window at Madison and Boylston Avenue.
Martin Luther King County Executive Dow Constantine made the following statement regarding the Seattle/Ferguson demonstrations, “We all mourn the loss of a young man’s life. This is a moment to say what is in our hearts, with tolerance, respect, and restraint, as we were asked to do by Michael Brown’s family.”
Meanwhile, in cities across the US protesters took to the streets in solidarity with demonstrators in Ferguson.
Police reported 29 arrests in the Ferguson area. CNN broadcast live footage of fires, vandalism and looting in that city. Two St. Louis police cars were burned along with a dozen vehicles at a car dealership in Delwood. A Conoco gas station convenience store was also set ablaze.
Governor Jay Nixon ordered more Missouri National Guard soldiers to deploy in Ferguson. Local hospitals reported 13 injuries, including at least two gunshot wounds. Police Chief Jon Belmar said he heard 150 gunshots during the protests.
In Oakland hundreds of protesters marched and held a "die in". They attempted to occupy Highway 580. At least one police car was vandalized. A Chase bank window was broken at 20th and Webster.
In Seattle, police brutality has been a major issue for the last few years after the killing of native American woodcarver John T. Williams by an SPD officer. In fact, there is a large totem pole that has been erected at Pike Place Market's Victor Steinbrueck Park to memorialize Williams. Local activists began referring to Westlake Park as "John T. Williams Park".
In addition, the US Department of Justice recently found that the Seattle Police Department has a "practice and policy" of using excessive force, and of police profiling.
Local civil rights activists have long complained about the city's civilian police review board. The Office of Professional Accountability has a reputation for being ineffective when dealing with police misconduct.
Seattle recently hired a new police chief, former Boston police commissioner and member of the national Irish national police reform commission - Kathleen O' Toole. She has encountered resistance from 100 members of the police force who are opposed to new civil rights reforms. The police officers filed a lawsuit against the city of Seattle and US Attorney general Eric Holder in an attempt to block these reform measures.
Despite this resistance, Seattle mayor Ed Murray outlined a new series of reforms of the Seattle department a week before the Ferguson protests.
During last night's demonstrations, a community meeting was held at Garfield Community Center. Protesters marched to the forum to express their outrage over percieved racism in US police departments.
Demonstrations in Seattle continued late into the night as marchers took to the streets to express their anger over the Ferguson case and to protest local incidents of police brutality.