No Kings rally draws thousands to Seattle Center for Voting Rights fair
SEATTLE - Thousands of demonstrators gathered Saturday at Seattle Center for a "No Kings" rally and voting fair aimed at encouraging civic participation and early voting.
The event featured a march from Westlake Park to Seattle Center, marking the largest "No Kings" demonstration Saturday in Washington state.
Turning People Power into Voting Power
The backstory:
Organizers centered Saturday's gathering around voter education, voter rights, ballot issue information, and election protection.
Seattle Indivisible President Kathleen Carson said the primary objective of the demonstration was translating public engagement into active participation at the ballot box.
"Voting is, I’ve heard it called the entryway into the palace of democracy," Carson said. "It’s not everything, but it’s the first thing we have to do, and it’s one of those rights that if you don’t claim them or exercise them, they go away. So, we want to make sure our people are out here exercising their right to vote."
Carson added that the rally represented a commitment to nonviolent action and protected First Amendment expression.
Honoring Victims and Encouraging Civic Work
Big picture view:
The event space at Seattle Center included a memorial display honoring the 85 lives lost to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Demonstrators noted that while the focus of this rally differed from past events, community engagement remains vital.
"I think it’s important that we answer people's questions that they may not get from some other source," said attendee Rozella VanMeter, who has participated in past No Kings rallies. "This one isn’t so much of a 'ra ra ra' as the others, but still important… We have to persevere. If we have objections or things we want to happen, we have to work together."
The Source: Information for this story came from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle's Shirah Matsuzawa, who spoke with Seattle Indivisible along with members of the community who participated in the "No Kings" protest.
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