cwc-2017-01-21-yes-we-also-protested-against-obama

Welcome to our continuous coverage of the mobilization against Trump’s inauguration! We’re updating nonstop all day, providing firsthand reports and analysis of the events in DC and other cities around the US and the world. Please send us field reports, photos, and footage at J20@crimethinc.com.

Tonight, at the end of a long day of successful actions against Donald Trump and the rise of fascism, fascist media personality Milo Yiannopoulos was scheduled to speak at the University of Washington in Seattle. Hundreds of antifascists showed up and courageously blocked the entrances in the face of considerable violence from police and fascists. At first, the anti-fascists were outnumbered, but as the less fanatical adherents of the alt-right gave up and an anti-Trump march arrived from elsewhere in Seattle, the balance of power shifted. A couple hundred Milo fans were able to enter the building, while confrontations continued outside.

As Milo began speaking, one of his supporters shot one of the protesters in the abdomen. The police rushed in to clear the area but did not detain the shooter. Initially, some social media falsely reported that the shooting victim was a fascist, but we have confirmed that it was a protester. The victim is currently in surgery. It is unclear whether he will survive.

Over the Seattle Police Department scanner, it was reported that, based on video footage, the shooter was “an Asian [sic] male in his 50s, approximately 5’7” and 190 pounds, wearing glasses, a yellow Champion baseball hat, and a black leather jacket over a maroon shirt.” [We caution readers not to take police reports, even internal ones, as a necessarily reliable source.]

After learning about shooting, Milo returned to stage and said that he thought the show should go on: “If we don’t continue, they have won.” The crowd cheered.

Police told the audience to remove their pro-Trump hats and other paraphernalia before leaving, and escorted them out of Kane Hall through an underground parking garage. About 250 people remained outside the building.

In a press conference, the police bragged that they maintained “adequate security” for the event, and asserted that it was important to them to work with Yiannopoulos to make it possible for him to engage in “free speech.”

The shooting confirms that Yiannopoulos is not simply engaged in speaking, but is actively working to create momentum for a fascist movement that will not stop short of murder.