A MayDayUSA “Don’t Mess With Our Kids” rally turned chaotic Saturday as pro-LGBTQ counter-protesters descended on the Christian event being held at Cal Anderson Park, leading to skirmishes with police. Nearly two dozen people were arrested and one officer required medical attention for his injuries.
Organizers of the “Keep Your Bibles Off Our Bodies” counter-protest accused the MayDayUSA rally of “provocatively being held in the heart of the Queer community.” Hundreds of demonstrators showed up to the counter-protest to fight what they claimed were “fascist family values.”
So with Christians on one side and violent protesters on the other, it's no surprise who Seattle's Democrat mayor stood up for.
NEW: A violent mob of Antifa militants tried to disrupt a Christian concert in Seattle over the weekend.
— FRONTLINES (@FrontlinesTPUSA) May 27, 2025
Instead of coming to the defense of peaceful worshippers, Democratic @MayorofSeattle Bruce Harrell called the gathering an "extreme right-wing rally," essentially… pic.twitter.com/XvOyPXFGVi
In a statement that's drawn intense criticism, Mayor Bruce Harrell blamed the peaceful Christians for provoking the other side.
“Seattle is proud of our reputation as a welcoming, inclusive city for LGBTQ+ communities, and we stand with our trans neighbors when they face bigotry and injustice. 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.
“When the humanity of trans people and those who have been historically marginalized is questioned, we triumph by demonstrating our values through our words and peaceful protest – we lose our voice when this is disrupted by violence, chaos, and confusion.
“Anarchists infiltrated the counter-protestors group and inspired violence, prompting SPD to make arrests and ask organizers to shut down the event early, which they did.
“While there are broad First Amendment requirements around permitting events under free speech protections, I am directing the Parks Department to review all of the circumstances of this application to understand whether there were legal location alternatives or other adjustments that could have been pursued. The Police Department will complete an after-action report of this event, including understanding preparation, crowd management tactics, and review of arrests and citations.
“I am grateful for those who make their voices heard in support of our neighbors without resorting to violence. In the face of an extreme right-wing national effort to attack our trans and LGBTQ+ communities, Seattle will continue to stand unwavering in our embrace of diversity, love for our neighbors, and commitment to justice and fairness.”
To deny a group a permit to pray in a public space because of crowd reaction is the classic heckler’s veto, which is barred by the First Amendment. Seattle’s Mayor clearly needs an education in viewpoint discrimination. https://t.co/QxhkEwDQPE
— Harmeet K. Dhillon (@HarmeetKDhillon) May 25, 2025
Rather than responding with a simple statement defending free speech while condemning the attack, Mayor Bruce Harrell seemed to attack the Christian group while demanding an investigation into why they were given this permit... https://t.co/ia0iHvIoBV
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) May 25, 2025
The @MayorofSeattle 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… pic.twitter.com/sxP1fHWR75
— Russell Johnson (@russellbjohnson) May 25, 2025