Through the Static

By Hannah Saunders

Do you trust the police to keep you safe while protesting national fascist leaders? Refuse Fascism, Capitol Hill Seattle Pride, and Indivisible Eastside recently spoke with Kirkland Police Department (KPD) officers ahead of Erika Kirk’s July 24, “Make Heaven Crowded Again,” event. And the City of Kirkland, as well as KPD, have announced their collaboration with these three organizations to “mitigate traffic impacts and support public safety.”

“While supporting the LGBTQ+ community in the face of continued harms by the Trump administration and Christian Nationalists is a top priority of Indivisible Eastside (see our mission), listening to assessments from others is an important part of any planning process,” the Indivisible Eastside steering committee told TtS.

Kirk’s event kicks off at 6:30 p.m. at the Pursuit Church in Kirkland, located at 9051 132nd Ave NE, and is sponsored and presented by Turning Point USA (TPUSA) Faith. According to the website, it’s a “Gospel centered gathering calling people to repentance, faith, and bold obedience to Jesus…Come expectant and bring someone who needs hope.”

TtS previously reported on the harm The Pursuit NW inflicted upon Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community last year, including by declaring that Seattle belongs to Jesus. The Pursuit NW was involved in the MayDay USA free haircuts for kids event in Cal Anderson Park, which led to Police brutalizing Queer community members and their allies. The fascists said they would return in the fall, which they did on August 30 in Gas Works Park for a Christo-fascist Sean Feucht rock concert, featuring Pursuit NW. Additionally, Kirk inherited her belated husband’s company, which has been active on the University of Washington Seattle campus.

“Beginning around 5 p.m., expect higher-than-normal vehicle and pedestrian traffic near NE 85th Street and 132nd Avenue NE. Drivers should plan for delays and consider using alternate routes if possible,” according to the City’s announcement.

The three groups’ protest is scheduled to run from 3-9 p.m., and while it didn’t announce the location, it’s safe to assume it’s taking place at the intersection of 85th and 132nd, which is less than a half mile away from the church.

Meanwhile, the American Party of Labor (APL) Puget Sound Division, which does not collaborate with cops, is hosting a protest outside the steps of the Pursuit NW Church, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The Puget Sound Workers League, Seattle Revolutionary Socialists, and PRSM have all endorsed the protest.

Safety risks, including state sanctioned violence

Working with police while national fascist leaders are in town when police have a history of escalating conflict, and surveilling protesters and activists to later label them as threats is not the most operationally secure move, especially considering that local law enforcement agencies across the nation have reportedly collaborated with the feds.

The job of the police is to protect property, and providing any form of marching routes or estimated number of attendees can allow them to further track people, including kettling them. Furthermore, police are more likely to side with far-right people, and bad actors are expected at this event for a counter demonstration.

On July 12, TtS broke news about members of Patriot Front marching in Kirkland weeks leading up to the Kirk event, and after MAGA propagandist Jonathan Choe, who has ties to the White House, encouraged “every patriot” in Washington to “fight back.”

APL Puget Sound Division Secretary, Ivanna, told TtS that the coalition’s greatest concern is the general danger that comes with disunity among protests.

“When other organizations plan separated, dis-unified demonstrations with the same target with different programs, they’re opening up the possibility of state repression a lot more,” she said. “We’re already divided in this protest against Erika Kirk’s presence. The main body of the protest is going to be at the church, and all these efforts should be united around that.”

Ivanna noted how this disunity would allow for law enforcement to violently quell protests, but if unified, could act as a deterrent or minimize any potential harm. The APL Puget Sound Division has already put out a call to join forces, and it has expanded its security efforts, including medics and jail support.

“We have a need for day-of dedicated roles that we can talk through with people,” Ivanna said. “Anything from care bears to passing out water, light medics, heavy medics, martials, car brigade, and so forth.”

Those wishing to become involved can reach out to the APL Puget Sound Division or any of the groups listed on its protest flyer.

“We want to send a very, very clear message to Erika Kirk that the organized, active, conscious, and progressive forces in the Puget Sound will not stand for fascist pundits like Erika Kirk and Turning Point USA to be in our area,” Ivanna said.

Regardless of disagreements, Ivanna said it is the efforts of progressive masses that will send this clear message to Erika Kirk and the system that she props up.

Capitol Hill Seattle Pride opened TtS’s email request for comment but did not respond.

July 16 update: Capitol Hill Seattle Pride claims it is not “collaborating” with police, and that it only announced that people would be holding a protest at 132nd and 85th. Under the surveillance state we are currently living in, any form of information sharing ahead of such events can be considered a collaboration. When fighting for our rights, our LGBTQ+ elders did not announce when or where they would be protesting oppression.

“We have communicated to Kirkland’s Mayor and City Council our concerns where they have had Kirkland Police reach out to us, and we are simply asking that they inform us of any potential security issues. Safety is our main priority but we realize the city may have limited information. A good example is it appears the public and police did not know ahead of time about this recent gathering of the Patriot Front so we really are encouraging public awareness,” Charlette LeFevre and Philip Lipson told TtS.

The pair highlighted how they previously filed a bias incident report to the Washington State Hate Watch hotline for Kirk’s event, which included Choe’s statement about rallying all patriots in the state to attend and “fight back,” against protesters.

“Patriot Front is considered a hate group by [Southern Poverty Law Center] and we have even requested to City of Kirkland to consider cancelling the event for public safety,” they said. “So for us, the question isn’t what we are doing, it should be what our representatives and agencies are doing to protect citizens. So we are encouraging statements from King County officials and hope to hear public comments from agencies, including King County NAACP. Staying quiet is not an option.”

Capitol Hill Seattle Pride said their protest will be high visibility, and that some small groups may march to the church and back. They added how protesters will take up the entire sidewalk, including on both sides of the street if necessary.

“We encourage attendees who may have mobility issues to decorate their cars and drive by the rally and honk their horns in support,” LeFevre and Lipson said.

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