Holly MatkinSeattle, WA – Seattle police handed out stickers to Antifa militants to help them with their sadness and anger while officers worked to clear a snow barrier the mob had set up outside the East Precinct on Saturday night.
On the heels of the largest one-day snowstorm Seattle has witnessed in the past five decades, rioters headed over to the Seattle Police Department’s (SPD) East Precinct in the former Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHOP) and proceeded to build a three-feet-tall wall of snow outside a precinct vehicle exit, The Post Millennial reported.
Video footage showed the group cheering and throwing snowballs at a patrol car as it unsuccessfully tried to pass through the barrier.
In addition to preventing police from being able to respond to emergency calls, the wall of snow also blocked a precinct garage door sensor so it would not close, The Post Millennial reported.
Officers headed outside to start clearing the blockade and warned the mob about obstructing officers’ ability to respond to calls for help.
SEATTLE: Antifa shoveled snow and blocked an exit to the @SeattlePD East Precinct which prevented patrol vehicles from responding to calls. pic.twitter.com/5cyf2p4Lrl
— Katie Daviscourt🇺🇸 (@KatieDaviscourt) February 14, 2021
“The cops are being aggressive and violating people’s rights,” a member of the group lamented in another video. “It’s been a couple days since they murdered somebody, so they are getting antsy.”
The group refused to disperse as police removed the snow wall, prompting officers to line up outside the precinct garage to block them from shoveling snow in front of the door yet again, another video showed.
The anti-police demonstrators stood feet away from the officers and recorded them as the incident continued.
“You want a sticker too?” one officer asked members of the group in another clip.
“For what?” one anarchist asked.
“Well, you seem a little angry and sad, and usually stickers make people feel better,” the officer explained.
“I’m not sad!” the protester fired back.
“You’re not?” the officer asked, as the anarchist fumbled for words.
“Not sad? No, I’m not sad,” he said. “Am I angry? Yes.”
“Oh, okay,” the officer. “Would you like a sticker?”
SEATTLE: @SeattlePD officers handed out stickers to Antifa tonight to help them with their anger and sadness. pic.twitter.com/zT7VV5DJaw
— Katie Daviscourt🇺🇸 (@KatieDaviscourt) February 14, 2021
The stickers the officers were distributing to the crowd were the same as those they generally hand out to children in the community, The Post Millennial reported.
The mob harassed the officers and hurled expletives at them until they finished removing the snow and headed back into the station.
The anarchists hurled snowballs at a passing patrol vehicle before briefly discussing whether or not they should construct a second “snow fort,” the clip showed.
“I don’t really want to get arrested – my toes are cold,” one rioter said just before the clip ended.
None of the videos from the incident showed officers arresting anyone from the group.
Rioters also marched through the streets on Sunday chanting “Black Lives Matter,” and spent some time hurling snowballs at the U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement building, other videos showed.
Protesters icing the I.C.E. building in downtown Seattle this Sunday afternoon #Seattle #SeattleProtest pic.twitter.com/bBZ4o9MYyf
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) February 15, 2021
“Black Lives Matter!” chants as the group makes their way through downtown Seattle #Seattle #SeattleProtest pic.twitter.com/7W0Pe7MZzF
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) February 15, 2021
Meanwhile, as many as 50 rioters in Portland marched from Director Park to the Portland Police Bureau’s (PPB) Central Precinct on Friday night, where they proceeded to launch icy snowballs and other projectiles at police, the department said in a press release.
One officer was struck, but none of the officers were injured, according to the department.
Snowballs thrown at police officers as the crowd chants “Quit your job!” here in Portland #Portland #PortlandSnow #PortlandProtests pic.twitter.com/cnRP1QVdlb
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) February 13, 2021
The crowd follows officers retreating into the police station, chanting “Move back!” as they made their way around the block #Portland #PortlandProtests #PortlandSnow pic.twitter.com/G5ARbs3dpE
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) February 13, 2021
The gathering did delay officers’ ability to respond to calls, however.
“While officers were occupied with that, there were calls stacking up in the precinct, including numerous calls for welfare checks on houseless community members who were exposed to the frigid weather,” the PPB noted in the press release. “Among other duties, officers were facilitating getting those individuals to warming shelters if they wished.”
Members of the group busted out the windows of a medical clinic and a Starbucks by the time the night was over.
Windows smashed at an urgent care center in downtown Portland #Portland #PortlandProtests #PortlandOregon pic.twitter.com/jXZYUBdhhY
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) February 13, 2021
They also surrounded patrol vehicles from other precincts as they arrived at the Multnomah County Detention Center, the department said.
No arrests were made during the uprising, and no one was injured.
