Play video
Links
Photos
Who was arrested
These six people were arrested during Thursday's march, according to the Olympia police.
• Daniel Wilson, 20, on suspicion of first-degree malicious mischief and rioting.
• Randal Hunt, 23, on suspicion of first-degree malicious mischief and rioting.
• A man who refused to give his name, on suspicion of first-degree malicious mischief and rioting.
• Daniel Busby, 20, on suspicion of second-degree theft and rioting.
• A man who identified himself as Forest A. Student, 20, on suspicion of rioting.
• Stephanie Gottschalk, on suspicion of third-degree assault and rioting.
A rally, then violence in Olympia
By Jeremy Pawloski, Christian Hill and Adam Wilson | The Olympian
OLYMPIA – A celebration of the rights of workers and immigrants turned ugly Thursday afternoon, as a smattering of May Day marchers clad in black from head to toe threw rocks through windows at two downtown Olympia banks.
The vandalism, which occurred while the banks were open with customers and employees inside, led to a violent confrontation between police and some demonstrators. In a separate incident Thursday, participants in May Day activities defaced the inside of the Capitol with anarchist symbols.
About 10 police officers moved in after the bank windows were shattered about 4 p.m., Olympia police Cmdr. Tor Bjornstad said. Protesters grabbed, punched and otherwise impeded the officers who were trying to arrest suspects thought to have thrown rocks at windows, he said.
Bjornstad said that as of Thursday night, six people had been arrested in connection with the vandalism at the banks.
The May Day event was intended as a way to promote social justice and bring attention to a proposal scheduled to be brought before the Olympia City Council on Tuesday to designate Olympia as a "sanctuary city" for war resisters. Sanctuary cities bar the use of local resources to enforce federal immigration laws and, in this case, to locate and arrest service members opposed to the war who desert their units.
Before the bank windows were broken, a separate group of protesters at the Capitol entered the building as a mass, said State Patrol Sgt. Ted DeHart. Members of that group then tried to enter the governor's office and clog a hallway. Representatives from the office spoke to them, and when they left, anarchist symbols were found scribbled on the walls and outside of the building.
No citations were issued because it was not clear who vandalized the building, DeHart said.
"We'd love to, but when there's so many, you can't keep your eye on them all, and they were so dense you couldn't see the wall," he said.
The commotion at the Capitol was not violent, but it did prompt the lockdown of the YMCA Youth Legislature, a gathering of 425 students in the Capitol this week.
Video
Most Viewed Articles
Join the Reader Network
Do you want The Olympian to keep you in mind when we canvass the community for opinions?
Click here and sign up with our Reader Network to offer your view.
@Nyx.CommentBody@