It's a good thing violent protesters and agitators never lie, isn't it? Especially the ones around Seattle.

If any of the SPD officers assigned to the park began their work with the intent of harming anyone, then that is a disgrace against their profession, and they require the fullest discipline Seattle can apply.

Having said that, bigots created the event to provoke locals into protesting. As many of us commenters remarked back then, everyone in Seattle should just have ignored them. Even if there had been no violence, the protestors were still giving the bigots exactly what they wanted. Why?

@1 the violent agitators in this particular situation, who were exposed by their own body worn cameras, lie all the time

Each side got their outrage fix quenched by the rough and tumble, now the city council just needs to let it go. Isn't ICE a bigger issue?

We’re here to chew bubblegum and kick ass and we’re all out of bubblegum… an SPD officer probably..at least according to the guy equipped in black body armor, a helmet, a face mask (adorned with his Keffiyeh of course) and a bag full of frozen water bottles that may or may not slip out of his hands and hit an officer in the head. Very peaceful indeed.

"(1) A person is guilty of obstructing a law enforcement officer if the person willfully hinders, delays, or obstructs any law enforcement officer in the discharge of his or her official powers or duties." - RCW 9a.76.020

"Alexander Dean said he was thrown to the ground after running to help a young woman being pepper sprayed by a cop."

So Mr. Dean complains about getting thrown to the ground when attempting to obstruct a law enforcement officer.

Once in custody, the police, not bystanders, are responsible for providing medical aid for pepper spray exposure, if necessary.

Likewise, for those in jail. The courthouse is open for those that wish to allege they were denied medical aid as they lay unmoving on the jailhouse floor. Judging by the fact that King County Adult Detention has more lawsuit payouts than any other local government department, they might even win.

Of the 23 persons arrested, How many had addresses on Capitol Hill? First Hill? Anywhere in Seattle? Or did they make the trip into the city, and to Cal Anderson Park, specifically to goad the bigots?

It’s all about goading. The bigots were here to goad the liberals. The protestors were here to goad the bigots. And the police were goading to law breakers. And none of it productive. Best to avoid that scene.

@7 ""Alexander Dean said he was thrown to the ground after running to help a young woman being pepper sprayed by a cop."

So Mr. Dean complains about getting thrown to the ground when attempting to obstruct a law enforcement officer."

Our resident legal savant strikes again. Nowhere does it say the woman was in custody, and not only people being arrested are pepper sprayed (you may recall recently ICE tear gassed small children, like SPD themselves did back in 2020). So unless your argument is that causing pain to protesters is an "official law enforcement duty" helping a person who had been pepper sprayed does not at all constitute the offense you cited.

Seriously Neale, if it's public humiliation you crave, why not enter a smallest penis competition or something instead of posting dumb shit here constantly?

@8, @9: Or, some of them went to provoke the police, as @5 implied. We don’t know, and I doubt anyone at the Stranger has any interest in addressing such questions.

Officer Didier‘s comments demand disciplinary action. SPD’s primary role in an event like the bigot concert is to ensure calm, use their deescalation training - not riling up his fellow officers. I suspect Officer Didier is not cut out for police work.