Sandy MaloneSeattle, WA – Twelve police officers were injured and multiple business were vandalized during an anti-U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest on Sunday.
The protest began at about 10:30 a.m. on July 10 at Westlake Park and was initially peaceful, KIRO reported.
Police said a separate group armed with bats and fireworks arrived at about 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon and vandalized businesses and launched an attack on officers, The Washington Post reported.
At least 12 police officers were injured by shrapnel after rioters launched fireworks at them inside the police precincts and one officer had to be hospitalized.
The protesters broke out several windows of the East Precinct, then threw a device into the lobby that ignited a small fire.
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) July 20, 2020
Multiple businesses were vandalized with spray paint and had their windows smashed, The Washington Post reported.
Rioters smashed the glass windows and painted “F–k ICE” on the front of the Seattle Municipal Court Building.
Police said they also damaged the old federal courthouse building and vandalized the Seattle Police Department headquarters before moving on to destroy commercial businesses, KIRO reported.
Demonstrators went from Westlake Park to the Municipal Courthouse and then headed back north to the West Precinct…leaving behind a trail of property destruction. These are criminal acts, not peaceful protests. pic.twitter.com/7GYkDxAg9s
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) July 20, 2020
Seattle Police Sergeant Lauren Truscott said rioters fired mortar-type fireworks at officers at the West Precinct, injuring 12, KIRO reported.
Police said one officer was transported to Harborview Medical Center after “fragmentation entered his throat and neck area” from one of the exploding pyrotechnics launched at officers.
“Multiple officers were injured by the fireworks thrown at them,” Seattle police said in a press release, according to The Washington Post. “Two of the officers suffered lacerations and abrasion injuries while a third officer sustained burns to his neck area and needed to be treated by the Seattle Fire Department. He was later transported to the hospital.”
Police used blast balls and pepper spray to hold back protesters but did not deploy gas, KIRO reported.
The new rules banning less lethal weapons against protesters go into effect later in July, according to the Seattle Times.
After rioters finished vandalizing the West Precinct, they marched to the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct in the former occupied zone around Capitol Hill.
The group destroyed more businesses along the way, KIRO reported.
A security guard at a Walgreens that had been vandalized told reporters that store had been looted.
Sgt. Truscott said the violent protesters smashed windows at the East Precinct and launched “some type of pyrotechnic item” into the lobby, KIRO reported.
A bystander put the fire out and nobody was injured in that attack, according to police.
Glass doors at Walgreens (Broadway/Pine) smashed — security guard just walked up and said store was looted. @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/UtNIAdKZE0
— Michael Spears (@MichaelKIRO7) July 20, 2020
Sgt. Truscott said the violent group appeared to be well-organized and acted in “a joint effort to target specific businesses and government buildings,” KIRO reported.
Videos shared to social media showed rioters busting out windows at an Amazon Go store and painting anti-Bezos messages on the walls, The Washington Post reported.
Amazon and The Washington Post are both owned by Jeff Bezos.
Rioters also smashed windows and set fires inside multiple Starbucks locations, The Washington Post reported.
“Individuals in the group appeared to target Starbucks and Amazon,” Sgt. Truscott told reporters.
The violent protests comes just two weeks after Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan finally allowed police to take back the six occupied blocks around the East Precinct.
Sgt. Truscott said two people were arrested during Sunday’s riot, KIRO reported.
Holly Matkin
