police

Description

Read the description for context. I'll leave the video unedited to preserve the timeline of events and better convey what it was like to be there. Note that people who got off the street were pepper sprayed. I apologize for stepping back after the spray, sacrificing the utility and quality of the video after that point. In my defense, I was suddenly distracted with this pressing issue: "OW OW IT BURNS, OUCH AUGH." I did recover quickly enough to assist some who got sprayed much more severely. I am not any of the people you can hear speaking toward the end. They sound shaken up, but can you blame them? Context from jseattle's CapitolHillSeattle blog which seems to be the ONLY source of coverage of this march (way to go, new media!): "A representative for the East Precinct tells CHS that SPD isn't concerned about the annual roaming dance party but will be watchful for any signs of trouble. "We always are concerned about groups who have a tendency to hijack events for their own purposes," the lieutenant said. We're told staffing is "much heavier" for Pride weekend as a matter of course given the large numbers of people the event draws to the city. If you see "any potential disruption," you're urged to call 911 immediately. UPDATE: SPD says East Precinct has "increased our staffing from that of last years to be able to better respond to such incidents" and "will have an emphasis patrol operating also that will allow us to designate resources for developing situations."" Dear DOJ: Please help us out. We desperately need the police oversight McGinn and the SPD are fighting so hard to prevent.