An incident involving a police officer slashing the tires of vehicles at a Free Palestine protest on February 9 is under investigation in Seattle, Washington. The actions of the Seattle Police Department, which targeted a minivan and other vehicles despite compliance from their drivers, are now under review by the Office of Police Accountability after a complaint was filed on February 13, according to Real Change News.
Pro-Palestine protesters had gathered at the World Trade Center Seattle and the city’s waterfront at a rally calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. The demonstration was part of ongoing protests in Seattle denouncing U.S. support of Israel. A caravan of vehicles, including a Toyota Prius and Honda Odyssey, parked on a driveway to allegedly close off access to the avenue in front of the World Trade Center, prompting the Seattle Police Department to move in and disperse the crowd. Witness accounts say the protesters were complying with police commands, but SPD officers pressed ahead, knocking over a 62-year-old protester and slashing the tires on the minivan, as video shared by the University of Washington’s Progressive Student Union shows:
The police arrested four protesters, including the 62-year-old woman who was forcibly detained, only to be transferred to an area hospital and, later, released. Charges for those arrested included felony assault, but these were dropped and prosecutors refrained from pursuing further charges, as the Stranger reports:
On Wednesday, prosecutors filed no charges against two protesters arrested for felony assault by Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers during a pro-Palestine protest outside the World Trade Center Seattle last Friday. The lack of charges seems to support claims from protesters that SPD overreacted to the demonstration, as does the fact that, according to the King County Prosecutor’s Office, SPD itself said the department might not have a felony case against either defendant. However, the department said Thursday they were still investigating the protesters.
SPD said demonstrators used people and cars to block the entrances and exits into a parking lot and a garage of the World Trade Center and the Waterfront Marriott Hotel and ignored orders to move. However, protesters described their response as cooperative and said the cops escalated the situation.
The parties involved in the pro-Palestine protest include the UW PSU and the Seattle Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, which both maintain that officers reacted with excessive force and did not clearly warn activists before rushing them, even after protesters were complying with the police.
Police slashed the tires of three vehicles in the “car brigade,” including the Honda Odyssey bearing a “Free Palestine” banner, while a fourth was towed away. Per Real Change:
Since the beginning of the demonstration, witnesses reported there was a heavy police presence. One protester estimated there were more than 30 Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers and a dozen police vehicles on the scene. After protesters blocked off a driveway at 2200 Alaskan Way, cops moved in to disperse the rally.
According to both activists and SPD, four protesters were arrested. One of them, 62-year-old school teacher Linda Bevis, was knocked to the ground prior to the arrest and suffered a head injury. In videos recorded by bystanders, one of the arrested protesters can be seen being pinned to the ground by four police officers.
Videos also showed a police officer using a knife to stab the tires of protesters’ vehicles, which were part of a “car brigade” used to help block off the driveway. Protesters claim police punctured the tires of three vehicles, while a fourth was towed.
The Seattle Police Department went on to claim its response was warranted and that officers were ensuring access to the parking garage next to the World Trade Center:
In a written statement, SPD said officers responded to the protest to ensure vehicle access to the parking garage adjacent to the World Trade Center Seattle and that one officer was injured during the protest. The department also said the tires of a protester’s vehicle were flattened “by an approved tire deflation device.”
Protesters replied by gathering outside a police precinct with video footage that shows them separating to allow tow trucks to drive in. SPD policy allows officers to break up crowds that cause a traffic disturbance, but it’s unclear if officers can persist after protesters have, indeed, complied. In the footage, it looks like the minivan driver is following directions when an officer runs up behind and slashes its tires. The driver is reportedly seeking help from an attorney, while the investigation by the Office of Police Accountability is ongoing.