Seattle, WA – On June 9, labor organizers and community members from across Seattle rallied in front of the offices of SEIU Local 775 before quickly marching to City Hall. The rally, called by SEIU, demanded the immediate release of David Huerta, the president of SEIU in California. Huerta had been arrested while observing ICE raids in Los Angeles.
Seattle, WA – On May 31, members of the Seattle district of Freedom Road Socialist Organization hosted “Fighting Repression: How We Fight Back – And Win!,” a panel discussion with local organizers which explored ways that the peoples’ movements can withstand the enemy’s attacks. Twenty members of the local community attended, filling up the public library branch’s meeting room.
Seattle, WA – On Saturday, May 24, Seattle’s LGBTQ community and their allies protested an anti-queer, Christian evangelist rally at the Capitol Hill neighborhood’s Cal Anderson Park. They protested the rally that was called by the group Mayday USA, which aims to classify transgender people as mentally ill and to legally define life as starting at conception.
Although the Seattle community outnumbered the reactionaries, the Seattle Police Department (SPD) wasted no time in acting as the reactionaries’ personal armed guard.
Seattle, WA – On May 1, over 2000 gathered at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle to celebrate International Workers Day, or May Day. Community organizations, labor unions and local community members marched through the streets demanding an end to Trump’s attacks on immigrant and workers’ rights and rallied for a fighting labor movement.
Seattle, WA – Seattle union members and community activists joined a National Day of Protest on March 23 led by the National Association of Letter Carriers, saying “Hell No!” to dismantling the postal service. 300 people attended the rally in front of a Seattle post office, one of several rallies in the region in solidarity with 200,000 letter carriers and 640,000 postal workers who are fighting against President Trump’s attempt to restructure or privatize the U.S. Postal Service.
Seattle, WA – A dozen-plus anti-war activists rallied and picketed outside U.S. Congressional Representative Adam Smith’s office in Kent on the morning of March 26 to protest his continued support of Israel’s genocidal war in Palestine. The event was organized by Seattle Against War (SAW) as part of the week of action called by the national Anti-War Action Network to honor Land Day, a Palestinian day that marks the ongoing seizure of Arab-owned lands by Israel.
Seattle, WA – On March 12, around 50 students and workers gathered to confront the University of Washington Board of Regents and demand no ICE on campus, divestment from Israel, and the protection of transgender students. The board had cancelled its original full meeting but kept a scheduled committee meeting at the same time, which included a vote on divestment from Israel.
Seattle, WA – Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), voted to ratify a new contract, February 28. The industry-leading three-year agreement provides an immediate, double digit wage increase for the 7000 flight attendants, boarding pay and retroactive pay.
Seattle, WA – On Monday, February 17, members of Seattle Against War, University of Washington Students for a Democratic Society, and Resist US-Led War, with support from Raging Grannies, held a rally at Othello Light Rail Station to protest Trump's plan to occupy Gaza. The protest was called by Seattle Against War as an emergency action. After Trump's comments claiming the U.S. has authority to occupy Gaza, local organizations rallied to show Seattle that they will not sit by and watch Trump's plan unfold.
Seattle, WA – On February 16, the family of José Medina Adrande, along with a coalition of organizations and immigrant rights activists, held a press conference outside the U.S. District Federal Court in Seattle, demanding Adrande’s release from detention in Guantánamo Bay. The event was organized to draw attention to the unjust and shocking transfer of a Washington state asylum-seeker to the infamous detention facility.
Seattle, WA – On February 17, over 2000 people rallied at the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building to demand an end to the Trump administration’s layoffs. The rally was organized by federal workers, many represented by the American Federation of Government Employees, hoping to bring the people onto the streets to defend civil services against the Elon Musk led purge of more than 10,000 (and counting) federal employees.
Seattle, WA – On February 6, around 100 students gathered outside Thompson Hall to rally against ICE on campus. The 5 p.m. protest was organized in response to a planned recruitment event with ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, titled “Career as a Special Agent” that had been set to take place on that day.
The UW Jackson School of International Studies originally planned to host two agents from Homeland Security Investigations, a division of ICE, for a workshop aiming to recruit UW students on February 6. After backlash from students and campus organizations, the workshop was suddenly rescheduled. Students are now demanding a full cancellation of the event, a formal apology for planning the event, and that UW administration refuse to host ICE and partner agencies at future events.
Seattle, WA – Several hundred people marched along Alki Beach in the afternoon of Saturday, February 8 to protest against ICE and stand against the attacks on immigrant communities. The rally was called by members of the Latino community, and supported by the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and the organization Latinos con Palestinos.
Seattle, WA – On Friday, December 20, Starbucks workers at five stores in Seattle went on strike. Anchored by the 24 hour picket line at the Reserve Roastery, one of Starbucks’ premiere stores, workers on these picket lines are planning to strike through December 24.
Seattle, WA – Seattle Art Museum security guards, also known as Visitor Service Officers (VSOs) went on strike on November 29, and, along with community supporters, held a large picket and rally on Thursday, December 5. Seattle Art Museum (SAM) workers have been fighting for a contract for more than two years, through the independent SAM VSO union. The museum has refused to meet workers’ needs on retirement, wages and healthcare, and has not even accepted closed shop language, which would protect the union.
Seattle, WA – On Saturday afternoon, November 9, the people of Seattle rallied on the grounds of the Space Needle, seeking to build the people’s movement and fight war, repression and genocide in the wake of the Trump election.
Students, immigrants, activists and concerned locals wearing keffiyehs and holding anti-Trump and anti-war banners gathered despite the rain, chanting, “The people united will never be defeated! ¡El pueblo unido jamás será vencido!”
Seattle, WA – 200 protesters took to Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park the day after the U.S. presidential election to rally against the racist, reactionary program of president-elect Donald Trump.
Seattle, WA – At 8 p.m., September 22, at the Boeing 2-122 building, striking machinists held down the round-the-clock picket line.
“We’re asking for more than they’re offering,” said Shane Vanpelt, a Boeing machinist and IAM member. He said that Boeing is “gonna lay everyone off, well, you’re going to have layoffs anyways. We know this because we know Boeing’s history, and if nothing else, they’re predictable. They’re going to lay people off regardless, but that’s not up to us. What’s up to us is trying to get the best deal possible for everyone, so we’ve got no choice but to strike.”
Seattle, WA – At 12:00 a.m. on Friday, September 13, around 33,000 Boeing workers walked off the job and began a strike. The Boeing workers are represented by the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and were in negotiations with the airplane manufacturing giant for their next union contract. Negotiations broke down and the strike began after 95% of the IAM members at Boeing voted to reject the employer’s proposal for a four-year contract, and 96% voted to begin a strike. This is the first strike at Boeing in 16 years.
Seattle, WA – On Tuesday, September 10, over 100 members of WFSE Local 1488 walked out ahead of their current contract expiring in a few weeks. The union, representing food service, custodial, maintenance and other workers at the University of Washington, has been bargaining since the beginning of June for a strong contract, with university administration stalling.