Seattle Mayor Calls Christian Worship Gathering a ‘Far-Right Rally’
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has come under fire for calling a Saturday gathering of over 700 Christians a “far-right wing rally.” Several attendees of the event – which was also sabotaged by Antifa activists – are calling for the mayor’s apology or resignation.
The mission of the gathering, hosted by a group called Mayday USA at Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park, was to “stand for our children, restore the family unit and proclaim the gospel of Jesus.”
TPUSA Frontlines Reporter Jonathan Choe reported at the event and interviewed several participants.
In a press release, Mayor Harrell commented on the Mayday USA event, deeming it a far-right attack on the “LGBTQ+ communities.”
“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. 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 wrote.
The mayor further stated:
“When the humanity of trans people and those who have been historically marginalized is questioned, we triumph by demonstrating our values through our words and peaceful protest – we lose our voice when this is disrupted by violence, chaos, and confusion. 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.”
Harrell defended the counter-protest of the event, saying he was grateful for it minus any violence:
“I am grateful for those who make their voices heard in support of our neighbors without resorting to violence,” he wrote. “In the face of an extreme right-wing national effort to attack our trans and LGBTQ+ communities, Seattle will continue to stand unwavering in our embrace of diversity, love for our neighbors, and commitment to justice and fairness.”
On Tuesday, groups of Christians gathered outside Seattle’s city hall to protest against the mayor’s actions toward the Mayday USA event.
The coverage of this story and Harrell’s response to the gathering has come to the attention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said the agency will look into the situation, saying, “Freedom of religion isn’t a suggestion.”
