Increased safety, small crowds at Seafair Torchlight Parade

People notice increased safety, smaller crowds at Seattle Torchlight Parade, some parents boycott

Some parents boycotted Seattle’s Seafair Torchlight Parade after a popular drill team was axed by organizers citing safety concerns. With the parade complete, FOX 13 took a look at the safety measures put in place and has response from parade goers.

SEATTLE - Some parents boycotted Seattle’s Seafair Torchlight Parade after a popular drill team was axed by organizers citing safety concerns. With the parade complete, FOX 13 took a look at the safety measures put in place and has response from parade goers.

First, organizers said they made sure this year’s parade addressed past safety concerns. This year the route was shortened, and the start and end time was moved up. Another noticeable change, the amount of police.

"There was definitely a different vibe," said parade goer Noel Hearn. "There was more police. More than I’ve seen in years past. Definitely more police out. More than I’ve seen in years before."

FOX 13 noticed cops and first responders making their presence known, placed all around the parade route with patrol beefed up. There were road closures and plenty of barricades erected to keep people safe.

Another thing to note, smaller crowds.

"I think they kind of scared people off a little bit," said Hearn. "Normally it’s loud right now.

What crowds lacked, performers more than made up for with their musical talents. But missing from this year’s lineup, The Dolls and Gents Drill Team and Drum Line.

As FOX 13 previously reported, organizers pulled the team last minute, worried team members could be a target for violence. This follows an incident at a previous Seafair event in Chinatown where three teens, unrelated to the group, were arrested after flashing guns at the crowd.

"I wish we could have performed for our city, but we couldn’t," sent drill team member Carlos Clark. "It is what it is."

Seafair organizers previously stated:

"…We want to emphasize that the youth involved in the Dolls and Gents program have done nothing wrong. Unfortunately, due to the reckless decisions of others, the team is being impacted. This decision is purely a protective measure, made with the well-being of the team and our community in mind.

Until the investigation into the Chinatown incident is complete, it is best to err on the side of caution. We are committed to ensuring that the team will not be put in harm's way. Our priority remains the safety of all participants and attendees at Seafair events.

Seafair looks forward to welcoming the Doll and Gents Drill Team back next year. We thank the community for their understanding and support during this time..."

While many in the crowd commended the added police presence, some saw the drill team’s removal as objectionable.

"There’s a lot of police, for sure," said parade goer Steve Harlow. "But you know something, if something’s going to happen, it’s going to happen."

Several drill team members along with their family showed up to watch the parade from the sideline, including senior and captain Aaliyah Woods.

"It’s emotional standing where I am," said Woods. "I want to be out there entertaining the crowd."

She told FOX 13 Seafair’s statement on safety still doesn’t make sense to anyone. She said it’s exclusion.

"If you felt like safety was an issue, then you would have canceled the whole thing," she said. "It’s not just our drill team that’s affected. It’s other drill teams as well."

FOX 13 has learned a number of parade performers paid tribute to the drill team at the start of the parade.

"People have been really wonderful," said Woods. "I just hope we can move on from this and we can all rise above this. Still, it hurts."

As for overall parade safety, FOX 13 is still awaiting official stats from parade organizers and Seattle Police.