A significant wave of protests has swept through Seattle in response to the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), highlighting a growing backlash against immigration enforcement in Washington state.
The unrest in Seattle follows President Donald Trump’s controversial June 7 announcement that the National Guard and Marines would be deployed to control anti-ICE demonstrations in Los Angeles.
Following that decision, protests ignited not only in California but also expanded into major cities like Seattle, where community members rallied against ICE actions.
On June 10, hundreds of demonstrators gathered for a lengthy 14-hour protest at the Federal Building in downtown Seattle, urging an end to ICE’s crackdown on immigrants.
The protests intensified further with a massive turnout of over 1,000 individuals participating in a march from Capitol Hill to the Federal Building that took place the following evening.
Both of these events saw a significant police presence, with reports of arrests and the use of less-lethal munitions by law enforcement to disperse the crowd.
Adding to the momentum of resistance, a large “No Kings” demonstration against the Trump administration occurred on Saturday, June 14, which attracted historic attendance of approximately 70,000 in Seattle alone, as millions participated nationwide.
Simultaneously, around 150 activists protested outside an ICE regional office in Tukwila, where two individuals were detained by the agency.
This report provides an in-depth account of the events that unfolded during the June 10 protest, detailing the actions, tactics, and strategies utilized by both protesters and police.
The timeline of these events begins on May 20, when plain-clothed ICE officers, masked to conceal their identities, became a regular presence at the Federal Building, particularly in courtrooms.
Immigration attorneys indicated that this strategy has led to multiple detentions at the Federal Building, including incidents where individuals were apprehended while their lawyers were unavailable.
In the time leading up to the June 10 protests, activists had been regularly gathering outside the building, though attendance had been relatively low until then.
Since May, some activists have entered the building to monitor ICE’s activity.
This recent surge in protests is likely influenced by events from August 2020, when federal agents in Portland arrested demonstrators without due process, leading to significant public outcry.
The violence meted out by federal agents inspired solidarity protests and local demonstrations against ICE and the administration’s immigration policies, resulting in a more significant turnout on June 10.
By the morning of June 10, activists began to congregate outside the Federal Building, equipped with protest signs and supplies for the anticipated long day ahead.
Reports emerged that ICE had detained between six to eight migrants that very morning, although these figures could not be confirmed independently.
In response to the arrests, activists initiated blockades at the four exits of the Federal Building’s parking garage, aiming to prevent ICE vehicles from departing.
As the protest progressed towards noon, demonstrators began utilizing Lime e-bikes and scooters to construct makeshift barricades, showcasing innovative tactics that had recently gained traction in other protests.
Despite the ongoing protest, the number of participants fluctuated, peaking at roughly 100 at various points throughout the day.
Some activists arrived in tactical gear, prepared for potential clashes with law enforcement.
The first notable encounter occurred shortly after 1 p.m., when a group of approximately 10 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers emerged from the building, confronting the protesters who numbered around 50.
The officers’ attempts to disperse the crowd were met with resistance, but they ultimately retreated back into the building.
These officers were part of the Federal Protective Services (FPS), which is tasked with securing federal properties.
By about 3 p.m., DHS personnel confronted the protesters at another exit, removing some of the barricades made of e-bikes.
Following this removal, activists quickly reassembled their barricade, securing the vehicles to enhance their defenses against law enforcement.
Throughout the day, the protest attracted considerable media attention, with both mainstream and independent reporters present.
Far-right influencers also made their presence known by live-tweeting from the scene, drawing the ire of demonstrators who labeled them as racist propagandists.
As darkness set in around 7 p.m., news broke from MSNBC reporting the Trump administration’s decision to deploy Special Response Teams to five Democrat-led cities, including Seattle.
This announcement signaled a nationwide escalation of unrest concerning ICE actions.
During most of the protest, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) maintained distance from the protesters, with Chief Shon Barnes even indicating earlier that day his expectation of potential arrest for his refusal to support federal immigration enforcement in line with Seattle’s sanctuary city status.
However, as the clock struck 8 p.m., activists monitoring police scanners noted that SPD officers had begun deploying pepper spray and pepper balls against demonstrators.
Footage posted on social media showed SPD vehicles engaging the crowd with pepper spray, and one officer was seen dragging away a protester.
Detective Brian Pritchard, a spokesperson for SPD, confirmed that the department responded to a call for “mutual aid” with FPS and stated their involvement primarily served in a support role during the protests.
Pritchard mentioned that SPD’s presence was short-lived, occurring only briefly at around 8 p.m.
Simultaneously, DHS officers resumed their confrontation with protesters, utilizing pepper spray and pepper ball rounds, as tensions escalated outside the Federal Building’s main entrance.
As the confrontation continued, DHS officers arrested two protesters who had been part of the blockade, forcibly bringing them into the building before later releasing them with notices to appear in court.
At this time, the status of the detained migrants remained uncertain.
Around 9:30 p.m., as the evening drew later, the violence diminished considerably, and many protesters began to leave.
As night fell, a small group of activists took down two American flags that adorned the Federal Building and set them afire.
In a statement released the following day on June 11, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell remarked that the city had not received any notice of planned ICE raids or activities.
He described the actions taken by the Trump administration in Los Angeles as an “extreme and egregious overreach of federal authority” and condemned ICE for its repeated violations of due process during immigration enforcement.
Harrell expressed his support for the First Amendment rights of Seattle residents while denouncing any violence or property damage by the protesters as detrimental to their cause.
He concluded by asserting that SPD was preparing for further demonstrations in the days ahead.
image source from：realchangenews
