On Saturday afternoon, a 17-year-old girl was arrested in Seattle after public property was vandalized in the aftermath of a left-wing protest that criticized both the Republican and Democratic Parties. The protest, named 'Build the People’s Movement,' drew around 200 demonstrators at the Space Needle in downtown Seattle, according to Seattle Police.
Video footage posted on Facebook by the group showed demonstrators denouncing the U.S. political system as a 'fake democracy' and condemning the two-party system as a failure. Chants of 'From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever' were also heard during the protest.
As the demonstrators marched southbound on 5th Avenue towards Downtown Seattle, they disrupted traffic and violated municipal laws. Community Response Group (CRG) officers later discovered black graffiti spray-painted on concrete columns of the Seattle Monorail between Denny Way and Bell Street.
The graffiti, deemed permanent by police, featured messages such as 'Seattle with Gaza,' 'Pigs leave,' 'SPD there’s blood in your hands,' and 'We will see free Gaza.' The suspect, the 17-year-old girl, was apprehended by CRG officers, who found black spray paint on her hands and recovered matching paint.
Although the teen was arrested for second-degree malicious mischief, authorities decided not to pursue felony charges after consulting with juvenile detention staff at the Children & Family Justice Center. The girl was subsequently released to her parents' custody following processing at the West Precinct due to her status as a minor.
City service crews are currently working to remove and clean the defaced property in the wake of the incident.
