The following is a reportback from antifa that participated in the opposition to Patriot Prayer, a neo-Fascist organization that held a rally at the University of Washington last weekend that ended with scuffles arrests and a cloud of pepper spray. Seattle knows how to dance with boneheads, and this is just par for the course!

Luis-Enrique Marquez and KV

On Saturday February 10th, Joey Gibson, the leader of the alt right group Patriot Prayer,  led his group of thugs on to the University of Washington campus. Patriot Prayer was there at the request of the College Republicans.
Leading up to the event, the University asked that the College Republicans pay $15,000 to cover the security cost, they refused and went to court over the issue. The judge allowed them to hold their event without paying the security fee. (University officials later said security cost were expected to reach $50,000.)

Patriot Prayer and Antifascist protesters were separated a “no mans” land guarded by metal gates and dozens of police on bikes from various agencies. Joey Gibson’s lead body guard and one of the leaders of the NW Proud Boys Chapter, Tusitala “Tiny” Toese, was able to “evade” the police and work his way into the crowd of Antifascists. In reality, the police were very aware of movements of Patriot Prayer and allowed them to enter and antagonize counter protesters, while left activists and students were blocked from entering Patriot Prayer’s event.

Tiny and his Proud Boys proceeded to shout and harass the antifascists who created a barrier to the counter protesters and stood in defense of the community. Tensions rose in the square as Tiny and his crew shouted many insults at the crowd including sexist, body shaming insults towards several women who dared to respond to their hate. After stirring up fear and anger, they were gently escorted away by police.

Before long, another right winger snuck in to the Antifascist protest.  I truly wonder, with a cost of 50k and so many police, how these people were allowed to “slip” in.  This man started a fist fight with Antifascist community defenders. He was taken to the ground by those practicing defense when the police rushed in, generously maced the crowd, and threw the community defender to the ground and arrested both the right wing thug who started the fight and the man who was defending his community.

The entire event devolved into a shouting match for about an hour, over the barrier of the no mans land. In demonstration against the terrorist and colonial actions by the United States, protected by their freedom of speech and assembly, Antifascists burned a cheap plastic “American” flag to loud cheers from the crowd.

Proud Boys with their leader came back to the Antifascist side of Red Square and once again proceeded to yell hate speech. At one point, a Proud Boy challenged a woman to a fight, calling her a “fucking C****” in a disagreement. As a result, the crowd became more offended by their speech the police once again rushed in to save the Proud Boys by creating a circle of safety around them, pushing, and macing counter protesters.

The police targeted a middle aged black man who was exercising his rights to express his voice and his anger passionately, but non-violently. Police signaled for his arrest after he lifted the metal barriers separating both groups and let them drop to make a loud “clang.”

As the police crashed into the crowd, antifascist community defenders surrounded him and put their bodies on the line to defend him. The police used copious amounts of mace to separate the man from his defenders. After establishing a police line with the gentleman in police custody, an officer then came across the line to grab a woman by the ankle. When defenders rushed in to protect her, they were once again doused in mace. Once she was dragged behind the lines, the police brutally lifted her up and body slammed her back to the ground, where her head cracked on the pavement.

After the arrests, Patriot Prayer tried to march but were stopped by police due to “safety concerns.” This signaled the end of Patriot Prayer’s “freedom” rally. As demonstrators and counter protesters dispersed, a few scuffles broke out and, once again, Tusitala John “Tiny “ Toese was filmed violently attacking women and men alike, swinging and hitting hard, to no response by police.

Seattle should be proud for standing up to those that would seek to harm them. They should be proud of standing on the right side of history. UW and many of its students stood in solidarity with marginalized communities and against the misogynistic, hateful, and bigoted rhetoric of Patriot Prayer and the Nazi’s they enable. In all, police arrested five people – one right winger and four antifascist community defenders. Four of the five arrestees were released that night, but the man who moved the fence was held over the weekend. As of this writing, he has been released, and now faces another uphill battle with a “justice” system that targeted him for being “loud and black.”

Seattle PD worked hard to silence the hundreds of antifascists who showed up to stand for the rights of women and people of all creeds and colors. They targeted, charged at, and violently arrested non-violent activists and medics for speaking their minds and trying to keep one another safe, while protecting the safety and free speech of the right wing group that didn’t even pay for security costs. This is fascism manifested before our very eyes; excused and endorsed by the state. This oppression must end. We must continue to stand. And never, never let them silence the will of the people.