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Fox News
02-06-2025
- General
- Fox News
JASON RANTZ: Seattle says praying in public is 'provocative' and the Trump administration is taking notice
Seattle is actively waging a war against Christian worshipers and the First Amendment. This isn't hyperbole. It's a city-sanctioned, Left-wing media-backed, far-Left crusade to stomp out any faith that dares exist outside their secular, progressive orthodoxy. And the Trump administration is taking notice, potentially stepping in where city leadership has refused to protect basic rights. Over the last two weeks, Seattle's animosity toward Christians has been on full display. Two weeks ago, Cal Anderson Park (made notorious as the main staging area for Seattle's deadly autonomous zone in 2020) became ground zero for Seattle's unhinged war on faith. MayDay USA, a Christian group, gathered for a worship rally under the banner #dontmesswithourkids. They oppose gender transition on minors, a mainstream position that Seattle treats as fringe. But the majority of the event was singing worship songs, dancing, and offering kids free haircuts. Far-left agitators — the Antifa cosplay crowd, masked as always — swarmed the park, launching urine-filled balloons at worshipers, hurling water bottles at police, and physically assaulting both officers and civilians. Twenty-three arrests. A police officer was hospitalized. And all because a group of Christians had the audacity to pray in public in the "tolerant" city of Seattle. How did Democratic Mayor Bruce Harrell respond? He ran interference for the attackers and then had the gall to blame the worshipers. "On Saturday, our city saw an extreme right-wing group rally at Cal Anderson Park, attracting both supporters and counterprotesters. While we respect the right to free speech and peaceful assembly, it is clear that intentionally provocative rallies designed to attract confrontation place a burden on our communities and law enforcement resources," the Mayor's Office said in a statement. Translation: If Christians get attacked in Seattle, it's probably their fault for being so provocative with all that worshiping. Maybe if they'd just stayed home and streamed a Drag Queen Story Hour instead, things would have been quieter. Meanwhile, Councilmember Bob Kettle, elected under the claim that he'd focus on law and order, blamed the city for giving a permit to the worshipers to visit Cal Anderson Park, which is in Seattle's most gay-friendly neighborhood. At the City Hall rally, Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck and State Representative Shaun Scott showed up to support the radicals targeting the worshipers. Harrell went so far as to claim that worshipers who were upset with him for labeling them extremists were trying to "intimidate" him because he's "Seattle's second Black and first biracial mayor." But the far-left wasn't finished. Later in the week, worshipers and their supporters showed the kind of courage this city's politicians can only pretend to possess. They rallied at City Hall, demanding the city finally do its job and protect the right to worship. And, again, it was a positive event filled with public displays of faith, singing, and dancing. They were met by a mob that harassed, insulted, and, at times, assaulted them. Leftist agitators swarmed Christian moms and their kids as they left the rally, screaming obscenities not just at the supporters, but at the cops there to keep the peace. Eight more arrests. This is "tolerance" in Seattle — just so long as you're on the right team. But don't hold your breath waiting for city leaders to condemn the violence. That's exactly why it keeps happening. As I detail in my book, "What's Killing America: Inside the Radical Left's Tragic Destruction of Our Cities," I infiltrated Antifa thugs and their activist pals as they wreaked havoc in Seattle. They only get bolder when their violence is excused. I was at the City Hall rally this week. Let's not pretend there's a Venn diagram separating the radicals who seized six city blocks in the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) from the ones who showed up to harass and assault Christian worshipers. They're basically the same crowd. Now, the official line is that the worshipers themselves are the "extremists." This narrative is parroted endlessly by local media bolstering the political position from the mayor's office, which insists these events were "designed to attract confrontation" — as if public prayer is some kind of riot bait. The Seattle Times described the worshipers as "far right" protesters. But the description of the thugs who committed the violence and harassed children? Merely "pro-LGBTQ+ protesters" — no ideological identifier. KOMO-TV labeled one side "right-wing," but didn't identify the radical protesters. Instead, the outlet laughably concluded it was "unclear" what "sparked confrontations." Let's be honest: If any other minority group was targeted in this way, the outrage would be deafening. But for Christians? Silence — or worse, blame. But there's a glimmer of hope, though it's predictably not coming from Seattle City Hall. The Trump administration is now watching closely. Both FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino and White House Faith Officer advisor Paula White say they're reviewing the events. The message is clear: If Seattle won't protect basic rights, the Trump administration just might. But it shouldn't come to this. The Trump administration shouldn't have to remind Seattle what the First Amendment actually means and that political violence, in all forms, is wrong.
Sky News AU
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Trans rights radicals surround mother holding baby at Christian group rally outside Seattle City Hall
Raving trans rights radicals surrounded a mother with three young children at a rally held by a Christian group outside Seattle City Hall Tuesday, video circulating on social media shows. The 'Rattle in Seattle' protest was organized by MayDay USA, which describes itself as a pro-life grassroots movement that defends traditional family values and units. The demonstrators descended on City Hall on Tuesday to rally against Seattle's woke mayor, Bruce Harrell, who blamed the conservative group for a weekend protest that turned violent. MayDay USA had held a demonstration on Saturday at the city's Cal Anderson Park that descended into chaos when left-wing counterdemonstrators stormed the event, resulting in 23 arrests. Harrell blamed the melee in the heart of the city's historically LGBTQ neighborhood on 'far-right' demonstrators and 'anarchists' who he said were 'promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city's values.' The weekend event was one leg of MayDay USA's five-city 'Don't Mess With Our Kids' tour, aimed at taking a stand against what the group sees as widespread indoctrination of America's children by the National Education Association 'in the ways of LGBTQ, social justice, and beyond,' the tour's website states. Tuesday's protest then also quickly descended into chaos when dueling demonstrations of trans activists and MayDay USA members faced off on the 4th Avenue steps of City Hall. One frightening video captured a woman carrying a baby, flanked by two young boys, surrounded by counterdemonstrators. A man, presumably the children's father, held the hands of boys, one of whom was clearly terrified by the melee and could be seen crying hysterically. Some members of the counterdemonstration urged the woman to get her kids out of harm's way before Seattle cops barged in and started separating the crowd from the family. What exactly happened before filming started and after the clip shared online ended could not be immediately ascertained. Meanwhile, MayDay USA blasted Harrell for pointing the finger at them for fomenting the violence at Saturday's rally. 'Following the MayDay USA worship event at Cal Anderson Park on Saturday, Mayor Harrell had the audacity to issue a press release blaming Christians for the premediated violence of Antifa which resulted in the hospitalization of Seattle Police Department personnel and the arrest of 23 Antifa agitators,' the organizers said in a statement. 'Under Mayor Harrell's leadership, the city of Seattle has continued its spiral into lawlessness and dysfunction while the First Amendment rights of citizens to peacefully assemble has been disregarded.' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced Tuesday he had requested an investigation into allegations of 'targeted violence' against religious groups after the rally, during which eight people were arrested for assault, according to Seattle Police. No injuries were reported. Originally published as Trans rights radicals surround mother holding baby at Christian group rally outside Seattle City Hall
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Seattle mayor accused of lying after blaming Christian rally for park violence
Organizers of the Christian rally that Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell blamed for a violent riot at a local park pushed back against his claims that they intentionally provoked outrage on Tuesday. After police reported multiple arrests at the MayDayUSA rally at Cal Anderson Park on Saturday, Harrell's office released a statement defending the LGBTQ community and protesters while criticizing the "far-right rally" for provoking the violent reaction. "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," the statement read. "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." Though Harrell's office suggested the rally was intentionally held at Cal Anderson Park to stir up controversy, pastor Russell Johnson, who helped to lead the event, said the location was suggested to them by the city. Seattle Mayor's Office Demanded Fewer White Men, Military In Police Recruitment: Memo "The @MayorofSeattle caught in yet another lie. He said we intentionally chose Cal Anderson Park for our worship rally to 'provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are opposed to Seattle's values.' Oops. He must have forgot about the email HIS OFFICE sent us on March 7th denying our permit to gather at Pike Place and SUGGESTING we go to Cal Anderson Park instead," Johnson wrote on X. Read On The Fox News App Johnson provided email screenshots showing that their initial location, Pike Place, was rejected for being unable to "successfully facilitate" the event. They also showed that Cal Anderson Park was suggested as an alternative option. Fellow preacher Ross Johnston also told Fox News Digital that their first location was rejected, and they then chose Cal Anderson Park after the city's suggestion. He condemned the mayor's statement for taking the protesters' side to "make things worse." "His reasoning, of course, is that our values inherently opposed the values of Seattle," Johnston said. "Now, when I hear that, my question is what values is he referring to? Is he referring to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights? Because I don't know if he knows this, but he's actually an elected politician in the United States of America. And in the 250-year history of the nation of America, though we might not all see eye-to-eye on every single matter, or even religion for that matter, we all do agree on having the same rights, right?" Blue State Mayor Proposes City Ordinance To Strengthen Transgender Care Protections In The Face Of Trump Eos In a statement to Fox News Digital, Harrell's office confirmed that the rally's Pike Place location was rejected and that a city staffer "shared several parks that had potential availability." However, Harrell's press secretary, Callie Craighead, pointed out that Cal Anderson Park was the rally organizers' first choice after being given other options, providing Fox News Digital with a copy of a permit from March. Craighead also suggested the rally organizers "directly explained their provocative thinking" when choosing locations by citing a pre-rally video depicting Johnston describing their Pike Place location as "Antifa's headquarters" and "where thousands showed up for BLM." "Mayor Harrell remains steadfast in his denouncement of rhetoric from groups whose messages promote exclusion, intolerance, and undermine the dignity and rights of any community member—particularly those that are marginalized, like our LGBTQ+ community," Craighead said. She added, "As a Christian himself, the mayor is guided by the Christian values of love and justice, and his comments have specifically addressed ideologies that are in contrast to Seattle's commitment to being a welcoming city for all. Like any faith community, Christianity is not a monolith—and many Christians throughout Seattle do not hold the beliefs expressed by the organizers of the Mayday rally." In response to the mayor's original statement, Johnston and Johnson launched a protest rally outside Seattle City Hall on Tuesday, calling for his resignation. Johnston also emphasized that he "100%" condemned violence. "We want nobody to be arrested. We want nobody to be hurt or end up in the hospital. Absolutely not. We condone all violence 100% of the time," Johnston told Fox News article source: Seattle mayor accused of lying after blaming Christian rally for park violence
New York Post
28-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Woke mob accosts mother holding baby at Christian group rally outside Seattle City Hall
Raving trans rights radicals surrounded a mother with three young children at a rally held by a Christian group outside Seattle City Hall Tuesday, video circulating on social media shows. The 'Rattle in Seattle' protest was organized by MayDay USA, which describes itself as a pro-life grassroots movement that defends traditional family values and units. The demonstrators descended on City Hall on Tuesday to rally against Seattle's woke mayor, Bruce Harrell, who blamed the conservative group for a weekend protest that turned violent. Advertisement MayDay USA had held a demonstration on Saturday at the city's Cal Anderson Park that descended into chaos when left-wing counterdemonstrators stormed the event, resulting in 23 arrests. A mother with three young children was surrounded by trans activists at a Christian group's rally in Seattle Tuesday. Cam Higby / X Harrell blamed the melee in the heart of the city's historically LGBTQ neighborhood on 'far-right' demonstrators and 'anarchists' who he said were 'promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city's values.' Advertisement The weekend event was one leg of MayDay USA's five-city 'Don't Mess With Our Kids' tour, aimed at taking a stand against what the group sees as widespread indoctrination of America's children by the National Education Association 'in the ways of LGBTQ, social justice, and beyond,' the tour's website states. Tuesday's protest then also quickly descended into chaos when dueling demonstrations of trans activists and MayDay USA members faced off on the 4th Avenue steps of City Hall. One frightening video captured a woman carrying a baby, flanked by two young boys, surrounded by counterdemonstrators. Advertisement A man, presumably the children's father, held the hands of boys, one of whom was clearly terrified by the melee and could be seen crying hysterically. Some members of the counterdemonstration urged the woman to get her kids out of harm's way before Seattle cops barged in and started separating the crowd from the family. What exactly happened before filming started and after the clip shared online ended could not be immediately ascertained. The protest, organized by MayDay USA, was held to oppose Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell blaming the group for violence breaking out at a demonstration held over the weekend in the city's Cal Anderson Park. Cam Higby / X Advertisement Meanwhile, MayDay USA blasted Harrell for pointing the finger at them for fomenting the violence at Saturday's rally. 'Following the MayDay USA worship event at Cal Anderson Park on Saturday, Mayor Harrell had the audacity to issue a press release blaming Christians for the premediated violence of Antifa which resulted in the hospitalization of Seattle Police Department personnel and the arrest of 23 Antifa agitators,' the organizers said in a statement. 'Under Mayor Harrell's leadership, the city of Seattle has continued its spiral into lawlessness and dysfunction while the First Amendment rights of citizens to peacefully assemble has been disregarded.' FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced Tuesday he had requested an investigation into allegations of 'targeted violence' against religious groups after the rally, during which eight people were arrested for assault, according to Seattle Police. No injuries were reported.
New York Post
28-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
FBI to probe claims of ‘targeted violence' against religious groups after evangelicals' protest in Seattle
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said Tuesday he had requested an investigation into allegations of 'targeted violence' against religious groups after an evangelical conservative group held a rally at Seattle City Hall in response to the mayor blaming Christians for igniting a weekend demonstration that turned violent. 'We have asked our team to fully investigate allegations of targeted violence against religious groups at the Seattle concert. Freedom of religion isn't a suggestion,' Bongino wrote on X. The Christians' 'Rattle in Seattle' demonstration began at 5 p.m. Tuesday on the 4th Avenue steps of City Hall in downtown Seattle, where counter-protesters were also present, according to Fox 13. A total of eight people were arrested for assault during dueling demonstrations as of 8 p.m., according to Seattle Police. No injuries were reported. 'Two opposing groups gathered along 4th Avenue. Streets around the dueling demonstrations were shut down for several hours, but reopened just before 8 p.m.,' police said in a press release. Fox News Digital has reached out to Seattle Police for possible updated arrest totals. 4 People rally in Seattle's Cal Anderson Park on May 24, 2025. KOMO News Tuesday's protest comes after a demonstration on Saturday at Cal Anderson Park during MayDayUSA's 'Don't Mess With Our Kids' rally and a pro-LGBTQ counter-protest. Police made 23 arrests at that demonstration after violence broke out when event organizers, attendees and counter-protesters converged. Mayor Bruce Harrell, a Democrat, released a statement after the weekend demonstration, blaming the Christian rally and infiltrating 'anarchists' for the violence breaking out at the counter-protest. '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,' the mayor said at the time. '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.' 4 Tuesday's protest comes after a demonstration on Saturday at Cal Anderson Park during MayDayUSA's 'Don't Mess With Our Kids' rally and a pro-LGBTQ counter-protest. KIRO7 4 Law enforcement detain a person during the clash between groups in Seattle over the weekend. KOMO News '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,' he continued. The mayor also released respective statements on Tuesday from several of the city's Christian and Jewish leaders siding with Harrell and condemning the weekend 'Rattle in Seattle' protest. 'Mayday's desire is to wrap their personal hate, fear, and bigotry in Christian speak. It won't work,' Rev. Dr. Patricia L. Hunter, a Baptist pastor, said in a statement. 'The call of Jesus to his followers was to first love God and secondly to love our neighbors. In no way does the ideology or bad theology of this fringe group embody the love of God we are to exhibit. Those of us who actually follow the Jesus of the New Testament work to make the welcome tent bigger so that all God's children regardless of sexuality or sexual identity are welcome at the table of love, justice, grace, and mercy.' Organizers of the 'Rattle in Seattle' protest took issue with the mayor's statement, which they said showed religious bigotry and an attack on their First Amendment rights, and held the rally on Tuesday to protest his remarks. 4 Police made 23 arrests at that demonstration after violence broke out when event organizers, attendees and counter-protesters converged. KIRO7 'Following the MayDay USA worship event at Cal Anderson Park on Saturday, Mayor Harrell had the audacity to issue a press release blaming Christians for the premediated violence of Antifa which resulted in the hospitalization of Seattle Police Department personnel and the arrest of 23 Antifa agitators,' the organizers said in a statement. 'Under Mayor Harrell's leadership, the city of Seattle has continued its spiral into lawlessness and dysfunction while the First Amendment rights of citizens to peacefully assemble has been disregarded.' Fox News Digital has reached out to the mayor's office for comment.
