Seattle police used pepper spray to disperse black-clad anti-capitalist protesters authorities say threw rocks, flares, bricks and Molotov cocktails at officers during a rowdy May Day gathering.
At least nine people were arrested Sunday evening. Authorities said five officers were hurt, none seriously.
The clashes in Seattle followed a peaceful march in the city earlier in the day by advocates for workers and immigrants, just one of several events in cities nationwide Sunday to call for better wages for workers, an end to deportations and support for an Obama administration plan to give work permits to immigrants in the country illegally whose children are American citizens.
In Los Angeles hundreds of May Day marchers took to the streets chanting slogans and carrying signs — and at least one Donald Trump piñata.
“We want them to hear our voices, to know that we are here and that we want a better life, with jobs,” said Norberto Guiterrez, a 46-year-old immigrant from Mexico who joined families, union members and students who marched through downtown.
Demonstrators repeatedly called out Trump for his remarks about immigrants, workers and women. The leading Republican presidential contender has called for a wall on the border with Mexico and chided Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton for playing the so-called “woman card.”
“In addition to fighting for workers’ rights, we are fighting for our dignity this time around, our self-respect,” said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.
“We can certainly encourage folks to look at what they’re watching, what they’re hearing and have them represent themselves and their families — whether they can vote or not — and say, ‘We are not the rapists. We are not the criminals you are talking about. And we are quite good for this country,'” Cabrera said.
Trump says he is not racist or anti-immigrant; he simply wants the U.S. to stop illegal immigration and control its borders.
Around the world, union members have traditionally marched on May 1 for workers’ rights. In the United States, the annual events have become a rallying point for immigrants and their supporters since massive demonstrations in 2006 against a proposed immigration enforcement bill.
In recent years, the marches have waned in size in U.S. cities, but the tradition has continued.
In Seattle dozens of people dressed in black had gathered at a downtown park following the earlier, peaceful march. The anti-capitalist demonstrators, who didn’t have a permit from city officials, then started marching through the streets. They carried signs including one that said, “We Are Ungovernable.”
Some downtown businesses had earlier boarded up storefronts, anticipating violence. Police said there was some property damage, including broken windows at a residential building.
“Unfortunately tonight we had some violence,” said Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole. “Thankfully there were no serious injuries.”
Authorities said eight males and one juvenile female were arrested Sunday evening. One person was arrested on a property destruction charges, five for obstruction and three on assault charges.
Police also said one officer suffered a head laceration after being struck by a rock, one was hit by a Molotv cocktail and hurt but not burned and another officer was bitten. Details on the other two injuries were not immediately available.
Bicycle police in riot gear pushed the protesters south past the city’s sports stadiums to a Costco parking lot. Police said they then allowed small groups to disperse.
Seattle traditionally sees large, disruptive May Day gatherings. Last year police arrested 16 people during demonstrations and in 2014 10 people were arrested. In 2013, police arrested 18 people from a crowd that pelted them with rocks and bottles. Storefronts in downtown Seattle have also been smashed in previous protests.
In San Francisco, hundreds of marchers rallied at Fisherman’s Wharf for immigrant and workers’ rights and to demand justice for several men fatally shot by city police.
Across the bay in Oakland, close to 1,000 people marched in the Fruitvale district to raise awareness for workers, housing and immigrant rights and denounce Trump.
Meanwhile, social justice advocates in Durham, New Hampshire, made the rejection of racism, xenophobia and anti-Muslim sentiment the themes of their annual rally.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Mr Gutierrez should go to the DF and protest there the lack of jobs in Mexico!
For the most part, paid trolls of the liberal/progressive left~Move-On.org. etc.
Same groups that are paid to demonstrate at the Trump rallies.
Same groups that are paid to demonstrate at ‘Black Lives Matter’ demonstrations.
Same groups that are paid to demonstrate on ‘walll street’. (99 percenters)
Sounds like ‘Rules for Radicals’ philosophy to me.
You haven’t seen nothing yet. Wait until the Republican convention in Cleveland. Get ready for some fireworks provided by Mr.Soros and his gang.
They will get hurt if they go to Cleveland. The Trump supporters will be there in force. Most plan to carry. 🙂
All the crap that the illegals and others are doing during Trumps campaign is just their way of showing they have NO right being in this country and they all need to go back to their sorry ass countries and stop taking jobs, insurance, welfare and all other benefits that the TRUE Americans are.
I WHOLEHEARTEDLY, 100% AGREE WITH THE ABOVE 4 COMMENTS, YOU SAID IT SO WELL IT’D JUST BE REPETITIVE IF I WROTE MORE THAN THIS, SO THANK YOU, AND GOD BLESS AMERICA????????????????
WHERE THE QUESTION MARKS CAME FROM, I DO NOT KNOW. I PUT A SMALL STATUE OF LIBERTY AT THE END OF “GOD BLESS AMERICA”. I PERSONALLY FIND THINGS LIKE THAT, NOT ONLY THE NORM TODAY, I FIND IT DISHEARTENING AND DISRESPECTFUL OF AMERICANS THAT LOVE THIS COUNTRY AND DONT MIND SAYING WE’RE TIRED OF PEOPLE SPITTING ON, AND WIPING THEIR FEET ON OUR FLAG! WE’RE TAKING OUR COUNTRY BACK, MEXICO, SOUTH AMERICA, GUATEMALA, HONDURAS, SYRIA, AFGHANISTAN, PAKISTAN, IRAN, IRAQ, OR WHOEVER, WHATEVER COUNTRY U COME FROM, GET USED TO IT!! YOU WANT TO BE IN OUR COUNTRY? THEN YOU’LL COME IN VIA THE LONG WAY, THE RIGHT WAY, THE AMERICAN WAY!!!
OK, MAYBE THIS ONE WILL POST….I WAS SAYING…I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THERE’S QUESTION MARKS AT THE END OF “GOD BLESS AMERICA”, BUT OBVIOUSLY, MY THOUGHTS ON THAT WEREN’T PRINTABLE, AND YOU CAN BELIEVE THEY WERE IN NO WAY FOUL MOUTHED OR DEROGATORY IN ANY FORM OR FASHION. BUT NOTHING REALLY SURPRISES ME ANYMORE. WHEN SOMEONE CAN DEMONSTRATE HATE AND VIOLENCE AND ITS ALMOST CELEBRATED IN THE MEDIA, WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK?
I DONT KNOW WHY THE QUESTION MARKS ARE THERE, I CERTAINLY DIDNT PUT THEM THERE…
I CANT BELIEVE THIS! THEY POSTED ALL AT ONCE? RIGHT!
4the etc, why are you shouting? We can read you just as well in small letters and you can put ! at the end of a sentence to emphasize what you are saying.
I too love my country. I am 78 and all thru my life I have thought how lucky I was/am to be born here. I have also seen a lot of changes that I don’t feel have done the country any good. We have allowed corporations into our politics, put temptation in the way of our politicians, who have allowed themselves to be corrupted. This country was not founded for the sake of capitalism run rampant, it was founded for the sake of individual freedoms. The first people who came here to settle were looking for the freedom to practice their religion without persecution, not to line their purses with the riches earned by others. I am all for capitalism, but like Teddy Roosevelt, believe it should be restrained by law – and that means by government. The collusion we see today between government and business should not be permitted, it robs from us, we the (little) people.
Also like some here I would like to see Bernie win the presidency. He has been good for Vermont, let’s give him a chance to be good for us. I also wondered, why wait so long? I guess it was because he felt he owed the people of Vermont all that he has within himself to do good. Only this year, it was apparent that Hillary should be more than the only choice for Democrats. And he was the only one who dared challenge the Democratic Establishment.
If you want your so called capitalism to be ruled by government .then move to North Korea. We had free markets here . And only the Communist Traitors called it capitalism. Now we have state controlled Capitalism which by it very definition is Fascism. You are old enough to remember Uncle Hitler. And now you say you want your Uncle Hitler to control our economy. As a Cold War & Combat Veteran of these United States you Offend me. Bernie is just another modern day Marxist & the National Socials have taken over the Democratic party.
Call them what they are Marxist traitors to America & the Constitution. The very Domestic enemies with in. As in the October revolution in Russia or the Moa revolution in China. And you thought the Communist threat was dead.
PONYSOLDIER/ Cav 1st ID
Thank you for your service to our country.
Your comments above are appreciated as well.
Cleveland and Philly get ready!!
Arthur Hartsock
This country has never experienced the depravity it has endured over the past seven plus years!
Fundamentally ‘Changing’ America to what? (Was the question very few that wanted ‘change’ asked!)
‘Cleveland and Philly get ready!!’ ??? could (and would?) have been easily averted by responsible Sheriffs
and/or National Guard intervention, in anticipation to the foreseeable problematic uprisings of a few dissidents.
Unfortunately, our beloved nation is now reaping what it has, for the past few decades, carelessly sown.
May God forgive all of us who grew up here, dropped the ball, and took our great nation for granted.
And hopefully, may He still be Blessing America!