City Hall
McGinn, SPD Assess Fallout from May Day Protests
Seattle Police Department officials and Mayor Mike McGinn announced today that they had arrested eight people---seven men and one woman---during yesterday's May Day demonstrations, for violations including felony assault (spitting, punching, and throwing bottles at police officers), property damage, malicious mischief, and carrying a concealed weapon (a knife).
Four of the people arrested were from outside Seattle, including one from Vermont and one from Mill Valley, California.
Police officials displayed a number of confiscated, and mostly improvised, weapons, including flags attached to heavy wooden dowels or sharpened steel rods, bags of rocks, hammers, and homemade incendiary devices.
Yesterday, McGinn issued an emergency order giving police the authority to confiscate otherwise legal items that could be used as weapons, such as clubs, tire irons, rocks, and boards.
Police, McGinn said, "did in fact move swiftly and aggressively to deal with lawbreaking. At the same time, they made sure that many people got the opportunity to peacefully express their views."
Asked why police did not move more swiftly to stop protesters who were damaging windows and cars downtown, McGinn responded: "If you're going to send in one or two [officers] at a time into a group of 50 to 75 people wielding the weapons you see in front of you, that's going to be an officer rescue situation."
Diaz said he expected SPD to make "multiple" additional arrests in the coming days after they go through video taken by police officers, local businesses, and news stations.
McGinn said he did not know how much the protests had cost the city and private businesses, but said "we'll of course analyze the cost to the city."
Four of the people arrested were from outside Seattle, including one from Vermont and one from Mill Valley, California.
Police officials displayed a number of confiscated, and mostly improvised, weapons, including flags attached to heavy wooden dowels or sharpened steel rods, bags of rocks, hammers, and homemade incendiary devices.
Yesterday, McGinn issued an emergency order giving police the authority to confiscate otherwise legal items that could be used as weapons, such as clubs, tire irons, rocks, and boards.
Community Police Team Sergeant Paul Gracy displays a club attached to a flag.
Police, McGinn said, "did in fact move swiftly and aggressively to deal with lawbreaking. At the same time, they made sure that many people got the opportunity to peacefully express their views."
Asked why police did not move more swiftly to stop protesters who were damaging windows and cars downtown, McGinn responded: "If you're going to send in one or two [officers] at a time into a group of 50 to 75 people wielding the weapons you see in front of you, that's going to be an officer rescue situation."
An improvised shield with sharp, serrated edges that was confiscated by SPD.
Police chief John Diaz added, "We have to wait until there's actual criminal activity. Once that occurred, officers responded very quickly. [But] if you have individuals willing to sacrifice the safety of innocents, that's going to be a challenge."
Diaz said he expected SPD to make "multiple" additional arrests in the coming days after they go through video taken by police officers, local businesses, and news stations.
McGinn said he did not know how much the protests had cost the city and private businesses, but said "we'll of course analyze the cost to the city."
