Police arrested three suspects for crimes including property damage, burglary, and felony assault as a group marched around Downtown Wednesday evening. Throughout the event, members of the group vandalized numerous buildings and structures with graffiti, utilized smoke canisters, and dragged various objects into roadways to create barriers and obstructions.
At approximately 4:00 p.m., individuals dressed mostly in black began to gather in Occidental Park in the Pioneer Square neighborhood. Shortly before 5:00 p.m. the group started marching towards the Downtown core while police monitored from a distance. In the middle of the intersection at 2nd Avenue and Spring Street, members of the group lit a large American flag on fire. The group then moved on toward a business at 5th Avenue and Marion Street, where they tore down plywood window coverings and then broke several windows.
The group used umbrellas to conceal their actions, making it difficult for police to identify specific property damage suspects. When police moved in, the group moved on to 6th Avenue and Spring Street where a suspect was seen breaking windows at the William Kenzo Nakamura Court House.
6th Avenue and Spring Street, door one 6th Avenue and Spring Street, door two
Just after 5:30 p.m, police gave an order to disperse and much of the group went into Freeway Park. The group once again gathered and started moving westbound on Pike Street, marching to 2nd Avenue where they turned south. At 2nd Avenue and Union Street right before 6:00 p.m., a suspect broke a large window in a business.
2nd Avenue and Union Street 2nd Avenue and Union Street (same window, inside view)
Minutes later at 1st Avenue and Seneca Street, officers located and arrested the 22-year-old male suspect for the incident of property damage at the courthouse.
The group continued moving south, and at approximately 6:10 p.m., officers near 2nd Ave and Cherry Street saw a 29-year-old woman in the group assault another citizen. As police were taking her into custody, she kicked an officer.
The rest of the group then returned to Occidental Park via a short detour east on Yesler Way. They stayed in the park until 7:00 p.m. and then started marching north on 1st Avenue. The group targeted a business in the 1900 block of Pike Place, with at least one person smashing the windows and glass door and making entry. Officers at Western Avenue and Lenora Street identified and arrested a 33-year-old man for property damage and burglary minutes after the incident.
1900 block of Pike Place 1900 block of Pike Place
Police gave another dispersal order near Pike Place Market and the group moved on, going north to the Seattle Center before returning to Occidental Park and dispersing around 9:00 p.m.
All three arrested suspects were booked into the King County Jail.