SEATTLE — At least nine people were arrested in a May Day march by anti-capitalists Thursday evening in what turned out to be a relatively peaceful protest compared to years previous in Seattle.
Violence related to unpermitted protests by anarchists has plagued May Day in Seattle over the past two years, with protesters and police officers squaring off in the streets. But this year, the march was mostly peaceful and without major incident, possibly due to a heavier police presence and rising temperatures that soared into the 80s.
Self-proclaimed anti-capitalists gathered at Seattle Central Community College around 6 p.m. and proceeded to march through the streets of Capitol Hill and downtown Seattle, joining others who had gathered at the juvenile detention center.
A group of about 20-30 police officers on bicycles began following the group; as the evening wore on, more officers in gear joined in, creating a heavy police presence.
The march heated up as the march made its way into downtown Seattle. Police said suspects threw bottles at some officers and some Metro buses windows were smashed.
Seattle police officers recovered a gun from a person who was arrested in the crowd. Police said a total of nine people were arrested Thursday.
Police tweeted a skirmish broke out between anti-capitalists and people dressed as “superheroes.”
HT: Ron