By Hannah Saunders
After a whirl of events leading up to the July 24, Erika Kirk “Make Heaven Crowded Again,” speaking opportunity at the Pursuit NW Church in Kirkland, several community members in Seattle and those living on the Eastside turned out to let Kirk and her followers know that her extremist views are not welcome in the Puget Sound region. At the same time, several agitators and MAGA propagandists were on scene, spewing mostly anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in an attempt to clip farm for content, yet were unsuccessful.
Before Kirk’s event kicked-off at 6:30 p.m., the Seattle Revolutionary Socialists (SRS) posted up on the sidewalk outside of the church, waving flags. SRS was one of the groups that endorsed the American Party of Labor Puget Sound Division’s originally planned protest prior to cancelling. Cars driving by honked and cheered in support, with one even shouting, “Charlie Kirk deserved it!” (referencing his death, which has been reported as a gunshot wound to the neck).
Not long after, a person covering their face began walking around, shouting that people need to fight back in an attempt to rile the crowd up. A protester with a megaphone told this man to get lost and that he was not with leftist protesters. Meanwhile, the MAGA counter-demonstrators were desperate for content, with some having traveled up from the Portland region. Tommy Lee is a known bad actor from down south, and has previously harassed and pepper sprayed people in Capitol Hill. He was at this event live-streaming on YouTube, and wore an “AMERICA FIRST” hat as he was making snide remarks at many in his vicinity, although one Transgender protester kept his attention occupied on her.
The Puget Sound Revolutionary Youth later marched over and joined the crowd of protesters. Some of its chants included, “Erika Kirk, go to hell! It’s our right to rebel!” The content creators attempted to interject by saying things like, “Palestine doesn’t exist!” but the Youth only grew louder, paying them no mind.
The police presence was relatively high, with at least 20 bicycle officers. The King County Sheriff’s Office deployed a dialogue team member to deescalate any tensions. Law enforcement officials kept a low profile, occasionally reminding people to stay off the grass, which is the church’s private property, and to remain on the sidewalk instead of meandering into the road.
As the sun began to set, several teenagers exited the building and stepped onto the grass area, gushing over how they sneaked into the event, and how terrible and extreme it was. One teenager described the inside happenings to TtS as overwhelming, and noted their surprise to see a live band on stage. Far right media have also reported how there was one disrupter, who was arrested for shouting at Kirk.
One man was leaving in a dark grey truck when he rolled his window down and shouted at protesters to “Go back to Seattle, you homosexuals!” before speeding off towards the exit and getting held up behind other vehicles. Protesters and counter-demonstrators left without any reported issues. Kirk’s tour will continue, although this was her first and only stop in the Pacific Northwest.
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