Local officials, community leaders speak out after Seattle protest turns destructive

SEATTLE — Mayor Jenny Durkan held a second news conference Sunday and was joined by Gov. Jay Inslee and community leaders to speak on the third night of the protest in Seattle.

“I want to express my gratitude to all the demonstrators who came peacefully to demand we do better. That’s accountability,” Durkan said. “It’s what I as the mayor need and deserve. It’s what the governor also needs. And it is what our community and country need.”

During Saturday’s protest, several businesses were damaged.

“I also want to thank all of the volunteers who came to downtown Seattle today [Sunday]. Showing up by the hundreds to try to remove graffiti, clean up glass, help the small business owners who have been struggling so much,” Durkan said.

During the news conference, Inslee vowed he would not allow the overwhelming number of peaceful protesters to be overshadowed by a small fraction of people behind this weekend's violence and destruction.

“We cannot and will not allow the folks who wanted to create destruction to suppress or obscure the legitimate protest that was going on,” Inslee said. “We had hundreds of people exercising their First Amendment right peacefully trying to challenge all of us to lift our sights, to reduce inequity, and it was a few who hijacked or attempted to hijack. We cannot and will not allow that important message to be obscured by that violence.”

Community leaders Andre Taylor, Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange and Pastor Carey Anderson also spoke at the conference.

“I’m looking forward to continually working in this community,” Anderson said. “Working side by side with friends of like compassion and like faith and want social justice.”

Watch the news conference below:

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