A religious group is set to protest outside Seattle City Hall. Here's why
Planned 'Rattle in Seattle' protest at Seattle City Hall
A group of evangelicals and conservatives are planning to rally at Seattle City Hall on Tuesday in response to comments made by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell in the aftermath of a weekend event at Cal Anderson Park.
SEATTLE - A group of evangelicals and conservatives are holding a rally at Seattle City Hall on Tuesday in response to comments made by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell after a weekend protest at Cal Anderson Park escalated into a clash that resulted in 23 arrests.
(@seattlegaynews_, FOX 13 Seattle)
The "Rattle in Seattle" demonstration is slated to take place at 5 p.m. on the 4th Avenue steps of Seattle City Hall.
Keep reading to learn more about the protest event, its backstory and what Mayor Harrell said to ignite it.
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The "Rattle in Seattle" demonstration is in response to Mayor Bruce Harrell's recent statements:
What is the ‘Rattle in Seattle’ protest?
The group behind "Rattle in Seattle" says they are protesting what they view as religious discrimination and the undermining of First Amendment rights by Mayor Harrell.
Their anger stems from the mayor’s response to a Mayday USA event that was met by counterprotesters and that led to multiple arrests.
‘Rattle in Seattle’ press release
"On May 27th at 5PM, evangelicals and conservatives are coming together, from across the state of Washington, to stand against the religious bigotry of Mayor Bruce Harrell and the Seattle City Council.
In a show of force, hundreds will rally on the front steps (4th Street) of the Seattle City Hall on Tuesday evening and demand both an apology and retraction from Bruce Harrell for his disgusting comments aimed at bringing harm to the faith community. If the Mayor won’t apologize, it’s time for him to resign in disgrace.
Following the MayDay USA worship event at Cal Anderson Park on Saturday, Mayor Harrell had the audacity to issue a pressrelease blaming Christiansfor the premediated violence of Antifa which resulted in the hospitalization of Seattle Police Department personal and the arrest of 23 Antifa agitators.
Under Mayor Harrell’s leadership, the city of Seattle has continued its spiral into lawlessness and dysfunction while the first amendment rights of citizens to peacefully assemble has been disregarded.
Mayor Harrell has aligned himself with the most extreme elements of Antifa and other radical groups while understaffing and undermining the Seattle Police Department and their mission to protect the residents of the Emerald City.
Mayor Harrell has lost both the ability and authority to lead the city of Seattle and must apologize and/or resign immediately. Seattle deserves better than a radical leftist who tramples on the religious freedoms of citizens while providing cover for violent extremists to abuse police officers, attack Christians, and destroy a city.
Rattle in Seattle" is being led by Russell Johnson, Jenny Donnelly, and Ross Johnston.
Russell Johnson is the lead pastor of The Pursuit NW, a multi-site church in the Pacific Northwest with campuses in Snohomish, Seattle, and Kirkland.
Jenny Donnelly is the founder of Her Voice MVMT, leader of the US branch of the grassroots #DontMessWithOurKids movement, and co-organizer of Mayday USA.
Ross Johnston is the co-leader of Mayday USA and has led outdoor worship gatherings across America."
Counterprotest at Cal Anderson Park on May 24, 2025.
What is Mayday USA?
Mayday USA is an organization described on its website as a faith-based activist group that calls on Christians to speak out against abortion, child trafficking and the perceived moral decline of society.
According to the group's website, they are protesting in five major cities across the U.S. to "stand for our children, restore the family unit and proclaim the gospel of Jesus."
What happened at Cal Anderson Park on Saturday?
The other side:
On Saturday, May 24, Mayday USA held a demonstration at Cal Anderson Park. Counter-protesters arrived and tensions escalated into violence. The event was shut down early by Seattle police due to safety concerns.
What are the counterprotesters saying?
Community organizations and activists took to Cal Anderson Park on Saturday to counter Mayday USA's event, which they call a "well-funded anti-trans, anti-queer event that is led by far-right Christian activists."
Organizers of the counterprotest brought signs and banners to the picket line to demonstrate the following action items listed in a press release ahead of the Mayday USA event:
- Stop the war on trans and queer folk.
- Empower youth to speak, define and defend themselves.
- Defend bodily autonomy and abortion rights.
- Stand against the racist Christian identity movement.
- Defeat Trump, Musk and Project 2025.
Counterprotest at Cal Anderson Park on May 24, 2025.
What did Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell say in response to the protest at Cal Anderson Park?
After the protest incident on May 24, Mayor Harrell released a statement praising Seattle’s tradition of standing up for values while urging non-violence during protests.
He also called on the Parks Department to review the rally’s permit, asking whether alternative locations or changes could have prevented conflict.
Mayor Harrells's press release
"Seattle is proud of our reputation as a welcoming, inclusive city for LGBTQ+ communities, and we stand with our trans neighbors when they face bigotry and injustice. Today’s far-right rally was held here for this very reason – to provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city’s values, in the heart of Seattle’s most prominent LGBTQ+ neighborhood.
When the humanity of trans people and those who have been historically marginalized is questioned, we triumph by demonstrating our values through our words and peaceful protest – we lose our voice when this is disrupted by violence, chaos, and confusion.
Anarchists infiltrated the counter-protestors group and inspired violence, prompting SPD to make arrests and ask organizers to shut down the event early, which they did.
While there are broad First Amendment requirements around permitting events under free speech protections, I am directing the Parks Department to review all of the circumstances of this application to understand whether there were legal location alternatives or other adjustments that could have been pursued. The Police Department will complete an after-action report of this event, including understanding preparation, crowd management tactics, and review of arrests and citations.
I am grateful for those who make their voices heard in support of our neighbors without resorting to violence. In the face of an extreme right-wing national effort to attack our trans and LGBTQ+ communities, Seattle will continue to stand unwavering in our embrace of diversity, love for our neighbors, and commitment to justice and fairness."
Why is Mayor Harrell's response controversial?
Organizers of "Rattle in Seattle" say the mayor’s remarks wrongly suggest that Christians were to blame for the violence and claim the permit review signals government overreach. They argue this is an example of religious bias and say Harrell is failing to protect peaceful assembly rights.
Regarding Mayor Harrell's call to review the Mayday USA event, Harrell said the ‘far-right rally’ was intentionally held at Cal Anderson Park, Seattle's most prominent LGBTQ+ neighborhood, to provoke a reaction.
Mayor Harrell statement, in part, following a counterprotest at Cal Anderson Park on May 24, 2025.
Was the Mayday USA event permitted?
Yes. After Mayor Harrell's press release was issued, the Mayday USA event at Cal Anderson Park was discovered to have been officially approved and permitted by the city of Seattle.
Did anarchists or Antifa cause the violence at Saturday's protest at Cal Anderson Park?
According to the mayor’s press release, "anarchists infiltrated the counterprotesters group" and inspired violence, which led the Seattle Police Department to arrest 23 people and request that the event be ended early.
"Rattle in Seattle" rally organizers dispute this framing, blaming Antifa for the unrest and accusing the mayor of deflecting responsibility.
Counterprotest at Cal Anderson Park on May 24, 2025.
What are Seattle police saying about the Cal Anderson Park protest?
Court documents say Seattle police officers at the Cal Anderson Park protest had water bottles thrown at them; they were also spit on, punched in the face and one officer may have broken their pinky finger.
The Seattle Mayor and the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) are questioning the decision to grant Mayday USA's rally permit.
"We have no doubt that this city decision, as naive or deliberate as it was, put police officers in an untenable predicament," SPOG announced in part in a press release. "Whether it’s our job or not, we were once again ordered to put ourselves into a political quagmire. SPOG understands we will once again get blamed, and more calls will be heard for more accountability. This is Seattle’s public safety political reality."
The Source: Information in this story came from a press release by the organizers of the "Rattle in Seattle" protest, information from Mayday USA's website, the Radical Women Seattle organization, the Office of the Mayor of Seattle, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, the Seattle Police Officers Guild and original FOX 13 Seattle interviews.
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