Seattle police are raising alarms following violent clashes during a rally and counter-protest at Cal Anderson Park over the weekend.
Law enforcement officials have placed the blame squarely on the city’s decision to force the MayDayUSA “Don’t Mess With Our Kids” rally into what they described as a highly volatile location.
On Saturday, Seattle police arrested at least 23 individuals after tensions erupted between attendees of the MayDayUSA prayer rally and counter-protesters aligned with pro-LGBTQ and Antifa groups. According to The Seattle Times, each side drew approximately 500 participants.
The Seattle Police Department reported that officers issued warnings to counter-protesters, directing them to “back away from officers and to stop throwing items at officers,” but clashes ensued.
Multiple fights broke out, requiring a coordinated police response.
In a statement posted to X on Saturday night, the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) expressed frustration over the city’s handling of the event, saying, “We don’t have the proper staffing to handle any more of these demonstrations that turn into mass arrests.”
The union further warned that the city lacks “the political will to allow police to use the necessary tools to hold back criminal mobs to protect life and property.”
The controversy centers on the city’s decision to deny MayDayUSA a permit to hold their event at Victor Steinbrueck Park, instead redirecting the group to Cal Anderson Park — a location known for past Antifa-related activity and its proximity to Capitol Hill’s LGBTQ+ community.
Folake Kellogg, a Wenatchee-based pastor and organizer with MayDayUSA, confirmed that the group initially applied for a permit to use Victor Steinbrueck Park.
Seattle Parks and Recreation instead assigned Cal Anderson Park as the location for the rally.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell issued a statement after the incident, defending the city’s LGBTQ+ community and labeling the MayDayUSA event as “far-right.”
“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,” Harrell said.
He added that the city would review whether “legal location alternatives or other adjustments” could have been considered prior to issuing the permit.
SPOG responded sharply, asking, “What we are struggling to understand is why was this park chosen and authorized.”
The guild continued, “We have no doubt that this city decision, as naïve or deliberate as it was, put police officers in an untenable predicament. Whether it’s our job or not, we were once again ordered to put ourselves into a political quagmire.”
The aftermath of the weekend’s events adds to ongoing tensions between the Seattle Police Department and city officials, dating back to the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests and the occupation of the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ).
Since then, the department has experienced significant attrition, with more than 200 officers retiring or resigning.
As of this year, Seattle has an authorized force size of 1,200 officers, but only about 847 are currently deployable, according to SPOG. Of that number, 28% — roughly 284 officers — are eligible for retirement.
“If Saturday’s violence is a precursor of future events,” SPOG warned, “then SPD may see another wave of officers leaving the force.”
In a closing statement, the police union added, “Moving forward, the Seattle Police Department is hiring.”
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