Seattle, Washington / 25 JUL 2020 / Federal judge blocks ordinance banning police anti-riot gear

SIGACT: On 24 JUL 2020, U.S. District Judge James Robart granted a temporary restraining order to block a City of Seattle ordinance which banned the use of crowd control weapons. The ordinance would have gone into effect on 26 JULY 2020 and Seattle Chief of Police Carmen Best warned Seattle City Council that the ordinance would prevent law enforcement from being able “to safely intercede to preserve property in the midst of a large, violent crowd.”

RECOMMENDATION: The temporary restraining order will expire on 7 AUGUST 2020 unless the court extends it, or the City of Seattle agrees to an extension. Violent demonstrators will likely be emboldened, and the risk of widespread property damage will increase significantly when the temporary restraining order expires on 7 AUGUST 2020. Continue to avoid Downtown Seattle and use increased caution in the City of Seattle after 7 AUGUST 2020 if the temporary restraining order expires.
SOURCES:
Dom Calicchio, Federal judge blocks Seattle council’s law banning police anti-riot gear, https://www.foxnews.com/politics/federal-judge-blocks-seattle-councils-law-banning-police-anti-riot-gear, 25 JUL 2020

Stephanie Klein, Seattle police chief warns council of ban on crowd control tools ahead of weekend, https://mynorthwest.com/2042993/seattle-police-chief-warns-council-crowd-control-ban/, 25 JUL 2020
Chief Carmen Best, Letter to City Council Regarding Council Ordinance 119805 – Crowd Control Tools, https://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2020/07/23/letter-to-city-council-regarding-council-ordinance-119805-crowd-control-tools-%ef%bb%bf/, 25 JUL 2020
Seattle City Council, Council Bill 119805, http://clerk.seattle.gov/search/council-bills/119805, 25 JUL 2020

Seattle, Washington / 25 JUL 2020 / Seattle BLM Protest Calendar

SITREP: Seattle BLM is planning daily demonstrations through the end of the year with demonstrations planned each day from 8:00 to 11:00 and 19:00 to 23:00.

RECOMMENDATION: Use caution in the King County Metro area as demonstrations will potentially target suburban areas outside of Seattle proper. Demonstrations planned in the vicinity of government buildings and in the area formerly known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (also known as the Capitol Hill Occupied Zone) present an increased risk for violence.

SOURCES:
Black Lives Matter Google Calendar, https://calendar.google.com/calendar/[email protected]&ctz=America/Los_Angeles

Seattle, Washington / 25 JUL 2020 / Activist Tactics Evolving

SITREP: Activists are listening to law enforcement radio communications over online scanner apps and websites to relay information via twitter to activists on the ground using various hashtags. Activists are also monitoring aerial traffic and studying law enforcement tactics to combat law enforcement.
Activists know that law enforcement are monitoring their tweets and know that the non-sympathetic groups are monitoring the #SeattleProtestComms tweets. These hashtags will likely change in the future.

RECOMMENDATION: Activist chatter should be monitored to track the evolution of their tactics and to learn how strategy is adapting.

SOURCES:
https://twitter.com/EstherScan4BLM/status/1287103016173109248?s=20
https://twitter.com/Rochelle/status/1287174484940582913?s=20
https://twitter.com/thautepocket/status/1287210888118693888?s=20
https://twitter.com/soultypechild/status/1286852430043348992?s=20

Seattle, Washington / 25 JUL 2020 / Seattle March Turns Violent; 21 Officers Injured

SIGACT: The Youth Day of Action & Solidarity with Portland Demonstration held in Seattle on 25 JULY 2020 turned violent around 16:00 when roughly a dozen activists set fire to portable trailers, damaged personal vehicles, broke windows at the King County Youth Service Center/Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center, and attacked the East Precinct with an unidentified explosive.
At approximately 22:00, demonstrators traveled north to a residential area near Magnuson Park, near the neighborhoods of View Ridge and Sand Point, and blocked the intersection of NE 60th Street and 60th Avenue NE. This intersection is believed to be near the Mayor’s house.

RECOMMENDATION: Demonstrations in the vicinity of the East Precinct will have an increased risk of violence. Demonstrators previously occupied the area by force and appear to resent that the City took the area back. Violence should be expected at any demonstrations in this area. The East Precinct is also a likely destination for any demonstrations that originate in the Downtown Seattle area.
It should be expected that activists will begin targeting other areas with demonstrations, particularly affluent residential areas where their demonstrations will garner the most attention.

SOURCES:
Seattle Police Department Public Affairs, Police Make Dozens of Arrests After Explosion Damages East Precinct and March Turns to Riot, https://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2020/07/25/police-make-dozens-of-arrests-after-explosion-damages-east-precinct-and-march-turns-to-riot/, 25 JUL 2020
https://twitter.com/SeattlePD/status/1287218506929336320?s=20
KOMO News, Seattle protests: Several arrested, 21 officers hurt during Saturday demonstrations, https://komonews.com/news/local/protesters-gather-on-capitol-hill, 25 JUL 2020
https://twitter.com/DylanInSeattle/status/1287252361669271562?s=20

Portland, Oregon / 25 JUL 2020 / Several Large Groups Gather in Portland

SITREP: Several large groups gathered throughout Portland, Oregon on 26 JULY 2020.
One group blocked N. Lombard Avenue for about an hour using sections of chain link fencing to block N. Lombard Ave and using cars and trucks to block adjacent streets. Others groups originated in North Portland and made their way downtown, while others marched on a nearby Marriott hotel after activists tweeted that Federal agents were staying at the hotel.

Thousands ultimately gathered in the vicinity of the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse, shaking the fence around the building, throwing rocks, bottles, and assorted debris over the fence, shining lasers through the fence, firing explosive fireworks into the area blocked by the fence, and using power tools to try to cut through the fence.

RECOMMENDATION: Continue to avoid the Downtown Portland area and use caution throughout Portland in general as demonstrations have spread to residential areas.

SOURCES:
https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1287310289235369985?s=20
https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1287349954172710914?s=20
https://twitter.com/CasiTica78/status/1285755718948098053?s=20
https://twitter.com/chadloder/status/1285257486975422465?s=20
https://twitter.com/ECMcLaughlin/status/1285997702203899904?s=20