SEATTLE — This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
The organizers of a conservative Christian rally are suing the City of Seattle and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell after an event turned violent.
They claim the city’s permitting process forced their Mayday USA event out of downtown and into Cal Anderson Park—the heart of the city’s LGBTQ+ community this past spring, according to The Seattle Times.
The group held a permitted event that quickly descended into chaos after protesters—some masked and dressed in black—allegedly assaulted attendees and police. Videos from the scene showed worshipers being shoved and cursed at, with one man being tackled to the ground.
As a result, more than 20 people were arrested.
Harrell releases statement after May event
Harrell released a statement suggesting the worshipers were responsible for provoking the violence.
“Today’s far-right rally was held here for this very reason–to provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city’s values, in the heart of Seattle’s most prominent LGBTQ+ neighborhood,” Harrell said after the arrests.
Russell Johnson, the lead pastor at Pursuit NW, demanded Harrell resign.
“The Mayor of Seattle owes Christians in WA State an apology for his bigoted remarks after folks who were holding a peaceful worship event at Cal Anderson Park were violently assaulted for the high crime of expressing their deeply held religious beliefs in the form of a permitted worship event on city property,” Johnson wrote on X.
“23 antifa thugs were arrested,” Johnson continued. “Cops were hospitalized. Church people were assaulted. And the mayor of Seattle has the audacity to blame Christians for the violence.”
Soon after, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) said it was considering legal action.
ADF attorneys argued the city failed in its constitutional duty to protect those exercising their First Amendment rights.
“City officials must not permit violent mobs to threaten, harass, or assault individuals exercising these rights,” they wrote in a statement. “The City has a legal obligation to ensure the safety and rights of all citizens. The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees people of faith equal protection to express their views without fear of violence or harassment.”
Participants reportedly planned the event to condemn sex trafficking and abortion, and to defend the “sanctity of the nuclear family.”
There has been no comment from the mayor or city attorney.
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