Olympia businesses vandalized after protest ‘tore through’ downtown Saturday night
About a dozen businesses and Olympia City Hall were damaged as a group of protesters worked their way through downtown late Saturday night and early Sunday morning, according to Olympia police.
About 10:30 p.m. Saturday, 40-50 people “tore through downtown,” leaving in their wake broken windows, small fires and graffiti, Olympia police Lt. Paul Lower said. Lower said they targeted a core area of Capitol Way, plus Fourth and Fifth Avenues.
Olympia Fire Department Battalion Chief Todd Carson said fire crews responded to four dumpster fires.
Among the businesses that were damaged: Rumors Wine Bar and Olympia Coffee Roasting Co., according to police. Police were still assessing the damage Sunday morning, Lower said.
No arrests were made, largely because it was a busy night for emergency calls, he said. Police were responding to domestic violence calls and other reports of assault, which led police to call for assistance from Lacey and Tumwater police. Thurston County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, Lt. Ray Brady, said deputies helped as well.
Once Olympia police got some relief, they were able to respond in greater numbers downtown, which caused the protesters to quickly disperse into area neighborhoods, Lower said.
Lower said the Saturday night protest was separate from a march that passed peacefully through downtown Saturday afternoon and ended with a rally at the Capitol Campus. The crowd at that event dispersed about 5 p.m.
Downtown Olympia has been home to both peaceful and violent protests since the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died at the hands of a white Minneapolis officer in late May.
Some of the protests have been well organized calls for racial justice. Other gatherings, typically late at night, have been characterized by black-clad individuals who, at times, have been more confrontational.
This story was originally published July 5, 2020 at 12:41 PM.
