Shocking business leaders and, more importantly, key reelection donors, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell made a desperate plea to May Day protestors this morning: Please come back to Downtown.
“Whose streets? Your streets,” Harrell said, echoing a common refrain heard among the marching anarchists. “I don’t care if you block critical arteries, shut down the highway, or even spray paint buildings today — just please buy a latte while you’re at it.”
Downtown foot traffic has dwindled in the Emerald City since Covid hit, hurting businesses — and the formerly robust annual protest in Seattle. As a result, any demonstrator who visits the retail core this Monday will receive a free bottle of teargas antidote from the Downtown Seattle Association, who is temporarily renaming its organization to the Downtown Anarchists Association for one day only in solidarity with the protestors it formerly dismayed.
“We recognize this is a stunning reversal of our previous talking points, but our city needs the visitors,” said DSA / DAA spokesperson Tamiko Jensen. “We look forward to wearing all black and working in partnership with the 99 percent this year in effort to revitalize the heart of the city.”
Asked for comment, most veteran May Day anarchist demonstrators said they still preferred mostly rioting and shaking the status quo remotely, but maybe next year when the new Rainier Square Mendocino Farms is open.
