Christian rally organizers sue Seattle over violent May clashes at event

Organizers of the Christian March, whose May event in Seattle was disrupted by agitators, are now suing the city and police department, claiming they were… Unlawful discrimination Because of their religious views.

The legal group Liberty Counsel filed a Federal lawsuit On September 26 against the City of Seattle, Mayor Bruce Harrell and Police Chief Shawn Barnes on behalf of MayDay USA organizers. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleges that the city violated the group’s First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.

MayDay USA, described in court filings as national Religious revival A tour aimed at “Bringing America Back to God” took place in five major US cities in May. The group’s rally at Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park led to the arrest of 23 people after protesters disrupted the event and threw urine-filled water balloons at attendees.

The Seattle Police Department said it witnessed “several people within one group throwing objects at the opposing group,” and while arresting individuals, officers were assaulted by others, resulting in injuries that required treatment.

MayDay USA organized a Christian worship rally in Seattle in May, which was met by counter-protesters and Antifa agitators. (MayDayUSA.co)

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According to the lawsuit, organizers initially requested a permit to hold the event on Pike Street, a popular corridor frequently used for demonstrations. The city denied the request, saying Pike Street was too small to safely host the proposed event, and that similar events had drawn complaints from local businesses.

Emails between organizers and Seattle’s Office of Special Events show officials referring the group to several alternative locations, including Cal Anderson Park, located in the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, which has historically been a center for Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community.

Organizers said they accepted the city’s alternative site “at the request of city officials and the city granted a permit for that site,” adding that they “did not want to use Cal Anderson Park but did so” only after their original permit was denied.

Next, Mayor Harrell He blamed the Christian congregation To spark a backlash at Cal Anderson Park.

The lawsuit filed by MayDay USA alleges that Antifa instigators at the event threw water balloons filled with urine at attendees of the religious gathering. (MayDayUSA.co)

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“Seattle “We are proud of our reputation as a welcoming and inclusive city for LGBTQ+ communities, and we stand with our transgender neighbors when they face bigotry and injustice,” the mayor’s statement said. “Today’s far-right rally was held here for this very reason – to provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are inherently at odds with the values ​​of our city, in the heart of Seattle’s most prominent LGBTQ+ neighborhoods.”

He went on to say that anarchists “infiltrated the anti-protester group and provoked violence, prompting the Social Democratic Party to make arrests and demand that organizers close the event early, which they did.”

MayDay USA organizers responded to claims that they intentionally sparked outrage with the rally location, saying they only chose that park because the city rejected their initial choice.

In the lawsuit, organizers criticized the mayor for blaming them for the violence.

“Mayor Harrell’s harsh statements are particularly troubling, given the violent assaults Plaintiffs suffered at the hands of the agitators from whom Seattle had a duty to protect Plaintiffs,” the lawsuit states.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office blamed anarchists and a Christian rally for the violence that erupted at a May event in Seattle. (Matt Hayward/Getty Images)

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The lawsuit alleges that “violent instigators threw urine-filled balloons at Plaintiffs, engaged in lewd behavior and masturbated in front of innocent minor children who were present at Plaintiffs’ event, threatened Plaintiffs, volunteers, and attendees with death and serious bodily harm for engaging in their protected activity, made verbal threats at Plaintiffs, and destroyed or damaged event equipment.” Plaintiffs, and engaged in other physical threats.” And actual violence. Did the mayor condemn the violence? “No, he blamed the victim, and he only did it because of his religious views, speech, expression, and exercise.”

The mayor’s office earlier admitted to Fox News Digital Cal Anderson Park was one of several parks shared with event organizers as potential locations. A spokesperson for Harrell stood by his statement, citing a video before the rally that showed a pastor describing Pike Place as an “Antifa headquarters” and “where thousands showed up for the BLM movement.” [Black Lives Matter]”.

The lawsuit alleges that the actions of Seattle officials violated the organizers’ First Amendment and 14th Amendment constitutional rights.

“MayDay’s voice was silenced by the City’s weaponization of the unbridled discretion granted to it under its permit system, and Defendants unconstitutionally exercised their unfettered discretion to target, censor, and unconstitutionally restrict MayDay’s religious beliefs, expression, and speech.”

The plaintiffs named in the lawsuit are Russell Johnson, Jenny and Robert Donnelly, Ross Johnston, Her Voice Movement, Inc., Christian Ministers and Mayday USA Organizers.

MayDay USA organized a Christian worship rally in Seattle in May, which was met by counter-protesters and Antifa agitators. (MayDayUSA.co)

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They are seeking a judge’s order to prevent Seattle from enforcing its event permit rules in a way that discriminates against religious or political speech. The lawsuit also asks the court to declare Seattle’s permit system unconstitutional and award monetary damages.

The Seattle Police Department and the city attorney’s office said they could not comment on ongoing litigation.

When reached for comment, Harrell’s office provided the following statement in response to the lawsuit:

“We have repeatedly and consistently engaged with the City’s process that allows people of all viewpoints to express their First Amendment rights in public spaces. While we cannot comment on active litigation regarding these rights, Mayor Harrell and Councilmember Hollingsworth worked with organizers regarding a similar event in August, recognizing that the City cannot deny or modify permits or locations based on speech or perceived viewpoint.”

The lawsuit comes on the heels of a separate Christian worship event in Seattle that went off peacefully in late August — with city officials openly cooperating with organizers.

Sean Feucht, a Christian musician and conservative activist known for his “Let Us Worship” movement that opposes COVID-19 restrictions on churches, brings his “Revive in ‘25” tour to Gas Works Park on August 30.

Despite activists’ calls to cancel it, the march continued without major confrontation. According to KING 5 and KUOW, about 200 protesters gathered behind barricades, blowing kazoos and waving transgender and pride flags to drown out the party.

Fox News’ Lindsey Cornick contributed to this report.

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