From Seattle: Here's what's up.

[nolabear]

There's a right wing group called Patriot's Prayer having a rally. They have a permit and yes, they're despicable but look more acceptable than the Nazis. Then there are counter protesters, legitimately countering them.

Then there are the...I don't know what to call them. They seem to show up at every parade and demonstration these days. They wear masks, they espouse socialism and sometimes anarchy, they confront police and cause damage. The police are keeping them apart from the Patriot Prayer group and they're giving 45 ammunition.

Everyone is so tense and angry that it's hard to know what to expect.

Facebook has a KING5 news feed that is carrying them, and KOMO and KIRO might be as well.

[Mrs. Overall]

1. MSNBC is carrying it live as well.

[nolabear]

3. Local feeds have a split screen with both groups.

[Mrs. Overall]

9. Oh, interesting. MSNBC is only showing the police line and the counter protesters.

I do like that the MSNBC announcer continuously follows the term "white supremacists" with "pro-trump"--totally linking the right wing "prayer" gathering with white supremacy AND pro-trump.

[ADX]

2. Will someone tell those idiots to stop spraying silly-string at the cops?

That kind of shit isn't helpful. Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy...

[cwydro]

5. I don't get the silly string thing.

Jeez.

[nolabear]

6. I know. I really don't know what they want to say.

I know they're far left but I'm not sure it's even left at all. They cause trouble for trouble's sake all too often.

[Weekend Warrior]

8. They are not we, as you suggest. Nt

[ADX]

13. I knew it was only a matter of time before someone chimed in with a reply like yours...

...but the fact remains that it will be perceived as being "us".

Let me ask you a question: if you were standing next to one of these idiots while they did this stupid shit, would you say anything to them or would you just be quiet?

[Weekend Warrior]

14. They are not we, as you suggest.

There is no debating that.

The alt right and a few others with agendas will absolutely link them to us.

Interesting that you were "waiting".

[cwydro]

4. Keep us posted.

Thanks.

[rogerashton]

7. Sounds like the Black Bloc is out.

Seattle has a long history of Black Bloc activity.

Black bloc

I'm surprised there hasn't been more of this, but there do not seem to be many black-blocers on the east coast.

[Mme. Defarge]

10. The group is most likely Antifa

We have had the exact same situation in Portland on several occasions since the election. Both groups are very worrying.

This is a very interesting and disturbing article:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/534192/

[nolabear]

11. The group that is rallying is letting people who are against them speak, but

they seem to be encouraging them (and people are taking the bait unfortunately) to make angry, profanity filled rants. It's manipulative and strange. I'd encourage you if you have FB to look at the KING5 feed.

[nolabear]

12. There's a group holding a massive copy of the Constitution. I can't figure out what side.

MSNBC isn't anywhere near where the rally is. It's bizarre.

[uppityperson]

16. I think that's at the end of the ones protesting rw extremism

[uppityperson]

15. The guys in black wearing hoods and masks carrying pieces of wood? Asses hurt the cause

[nolabear]

17. This is a strange gathering. Everyone who's mad about something is letting it all go.

In a way it has elegance. People are mad and arguing and there's a lot of bad feeling but they're wrestling with some tough things.

That doesn't mean I support anything the RW is doing. But they are here and people of all stripes are being heard.

The antifa crowd isn't part of this. They're apart from it, but there are many counter protesters.

[icymist]

21. It seems to me a lot of very angry people; groups with many 'causes', unorganized.

I just listened to a woman, an self-described anarchist, yelling at everyone to fight Nazis by saying "fuck your Constitution" and "fuck you liberals". This is not helping. And I also don't get the guy parading around with the Soviet flag. Everyone is going to fight the Nazis by fighting each other first.

[nolabear]

22. I know. It is very random. I wonder if the organizers encourage that.

Random people yelling is not going to get anything done. I think we've learned that from the current inhabitants of the White House.

[icymist]

23. Oh God! Now is a woman trying to make this a Rainbow gathering!

Unbelievable! Do these people even sound like hippies chanting in the woods?!

[nolabear]

26. Giving people microphones isn't always good but hey, they're being heard.

What the hey. At least they're yelling and not running one another over.

[pnwmom]

18. The black masked people aren't socialists, they're anarchists. Anarchists are neither

leftists nor on the right, since they don't believe in government at all.

If anything, they're extreme Libertarians.

[nolabear]

20. Agreed. I have never been able to figure them out.

They just seem to like destruction.

[NightWatcher]

19. The Black Bloc crew are not the opposite of the nazis.

They are radical and just as dangerous to peace and society. I hope that opposition to the nazis are lumped in with these freaks.

I would protest the nazis if able but I'd never fight beside the crowd of those people who are best known for the Seattle WTO protests.

[lostnfound]

25. I will be pleasantly surprised if Seattle tonight doesn't bring a police state tomorrow

White House is itching for control. Creating an excuse is not rocket science.

[nolabear]

27. Actually it has gone fairly well. The rally broke up and people are moving off.

The antifa bunch was loud and abused the police but it was handled well and the people at the rally yelled and tried to talk and I think it might have been useful.

Hopefully no one will hang around and cause problems. But people talked instead of carrying torches and running one another over.