(First two photos by Macey Wurm)

By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Hundreds of protesters gathered at Hiawatha Playfield this afternoon to start West Seattle Indivisible’s “We’re Still Standing” rally and march. The event, in collaboration with activist groups Defund Musk, Evergreen Resistance, 50501, and The Seattle Handmaids, was WS Indivisible’s first major event of 2026.

“We’re Still Standing” was intended to acknowledge a year of resolve under the Trump administration and a resolution to continue standing in resistance. While the event was announced weeks ago, and was not planned as a response to the Minnesota violence involving federal agents and subsequent unrest, this morning’s shooting death of 37-year-old Alex Jeffrey Pretti brought a new sense of purpose to the afternoon’s gathering.

“‘We came in today ready to mark the first 365 days of this atrocious administration…and then this morning in Minnesota, there was another killing that happened,” said Laurie Reinhardt, co-director of West Seattle Indivisible. “So that has put us in a head space and heart space where we are committed to nonviolence and peace… it’s demonstrating at the same time that our hearts are hurting.”

Participants pulled their signs from the trunks of cars, and friends greeted each other familiarly. A sign reading “Dance 4 Democracy” drew an assembly of line-dancers. Around 12:30 pm the crowd settled in anticipation of leadership speeches. Among the speakers was Devin Hermanson, founder of Defund Musk.

“This is what real community looks like. It’s people who are bound not by money, but by compassion, care for one another, love for one another, for real community.” Hermanson said to the crowd. “That’s why we’re strong. That’s why they can’t break the people of Minnesota.”

Hermanson was followed by a few additional speakers and some direction on marcher safety, before protesters were invited to grab one of the some-300 signs West Seattle Indivisible members had made for the march itself.

(Photos from here by Dave Gershgorn for WSB)

The crowd took to the sidewalk around 1:00 pm for the 1.4-mile march down California Ave SW to The Junction. Several passersby waved and honked their horns in support, and residents lingered outside their homes to observe the lengthy mass.

One West Seattle local said he had been attending protests such as these since the 1960’s, another simply explained she was in support because she was from Minnesota, accompanied by, “F–k Trump.”

“I am really upset by the events going on in Minnesota, with the way ICE is interacting with regular citizens, not doing what they say their job is, and all the violence and murder they’re instigating.” A third marcher said, “It’s just unacceptable in America.”

The march concluded at the intersection of SW Alaska St and California Ave SW, where photo-ops commenced, and participants were instructed to leave their signs. West Seattle Indivisible announced they will have a presence at University Village next weekend and that they will be participating in rapid-response training on February 6.

1:56 PM: WSB contributing photojournalist Dave Gershgorn just sent that photo of the “We’re Still Standing“ march headed southbound on California SW toward The Junction. Police monitoring the march (SOP for protests) radioed to dispatch a few minutes ago that marchers had passed SW Bradford and so far “minimal traffic disruption.” We’ll have a full report with more photos later.

4:54 PM: Before that report from WSB’s Macey Wurm, which we’ll publish separately later tonight, we’re adding more of Dave Gershgorn’s photos now:

This march/protest was planned weeks ago, but it had an extra edge today after another deadly shooting in Minnesota by an ICE agent.

(WSB photo, November demonstration in The Triangle)

The Seattle Handmaids are expected to be among the participants in West Seattle Indivisible‘s march and rally tomorrow, with the theme “We’re Still Standing,” a reference to the year that has passed since the administration change. They’re gathering at Hiawatha Playfield (2700 California SW) at 12:30 pm and will have a few speeches before marching southbound to The Junction starting around 1 pm, ending at Junction Plaza Park (42nd SW and SW Alaska). WSI – organizing the rally/march along with Evergreen Resistance and 50501 – explains it as: “Against a backdrop of uncertainty and concern for our democracy, participants will assemble not just to protest, but to celebrate resilience.”

A reader sent that photo of Lincoln Park‘s troll Bruun Idun with a small sign of opposition to the Trump Administration’s vow to take over Greenland. You might recall that the troll was installed at the park 2 1/2 years ago by artist Thomas Dambo, who’s from Denmark, the country that governs Greenland as an autonomous territory. The reader tells us the signmaker put similar signs at some of the other Dambo trolls around the area

As noted in our calendar/event list, the regular Sunday protest by West Seattle Resist at California/Alaska expanded today to incorporate the “ICE Out for Good” of protests nationwide sparked by the shooting death of Renée Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. The traffic-cam screen grab above is from 11 am; watching the live feed, we saw demonstrators standing at corners and along the Farmers’ Market street-closure barricades until the intersection opened periodically for pedestrians, at which time some marched back and forth. About an hour and a half later, we had a photographer there for a bit:

(WSB photos, this and next)

This was a “satellite” protest, as one texter put it, as West Seattle Indivisible was a co-sponsor of what was expected to be the largest demonstration in the city today, at midday at Cal Anderson Park. Meantime, we received some photos of the West Seattle demonstration from local texters, including these:

The protest was scheduled to conclude around 1:30 pm, and the live traffic camera verifies it’s over (as is today’s Farmers’ Market, though California north of Alaska remains closed for market breakdown).

(WSB photos by Torin Record-Sand unless otherwise credited)

The Alki Statue of Liberty once again served tonight as a gathering place in time of national crisis. More than 100 people showed up for a vigil organized by West Seattle Indivisible in the wake of the shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis and Portland.

WSI’s Laurie Reinhardt spoke to the group for a few minutes before they began their silent vigil.

Earlier in the evening, others gathered at Roxbury and Delridge:

The paper chain carried names of people reported to have died in ICE custody:

(Reader photo sent by Genna)

And hours earlier, more than a dozen people joined Marjorie, who protests daily at 35th SW and SW Edmunds:

Four city councilmembers issued news releases today decrying the Minnesota shooting – citywide Councilmembers Alexis Mercedes Rinck and Dionne Foster, as well as district Councilmembers Bob Kettle and Eddie Lin; Mayor Katie Wilson recorded a statement on video, also addressing three reported ICE detentions in North Seattle.

ADDED FRIDAY: District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka‘s office points out that he actually posted a video reaction on Instagram yesterday; it wasn’t mentioned in the council’s news release channel so we weren’t aware of it. It’s now also on YouTube, which doesn’t require a login to view – see it here.

12:38 PM: (corrected) One day after an ICE agent shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis, demonstrations are happening across the nation, and we’ve just learned of two planned in this area tonight. Here’s the announcement sent to us:

West Seattle Indivisible is hosting a gathering tonight (Thursday 1/8) at 7 pm at Alki Beach/Statue of Liberty, a candlelight vigil and protest of the ICE murder of Renee Good in Minneapolis. We cannot allow this outrageous tyranny to continue and we must show up to stand against these egregious abuses of power.

There is also a protest [in] White Center from 5-6 pm at the corner of Roxbury & Delridge.

The Minnesota incident is under investigation. According to local coverage – which includes bystander video of the incident – today’s developments include the disclosure that the agent who killed the woman had been injured last year when he was dragged by a driver.

12:52 PM: We’ve also just learned that some local activists plan to join daily protester Marjorie at 35th and Edmunds 3 pm-3:30 pm today on the same topic.

Story and photos by Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

A coalition led by members of West Seattle Indivisible showed up in the rain this morning for the first of two planned “We Ain’t Buying It“ demonstrations in West Seattle.

They stood on the corners of Fauntleroy Way, SW Alaska, and 41st SW, flanking the West Seattle outlet of Whole Foods Market. WSI members were joined by activists from other local groups, including Defund Musk and Indivisible Vashon. This protest was part of a nationwide campaign urging people to suspend purchasing from Amazon, The Home Depot, and Target, from Thanksgiving through December 1. Whole Foods is a subsidiary of Amazon, which the campaign criticizes both for donating to the Trump inauguration fund and for the company’s labor practices. Organizer Laurie Reinhardt of West Seattle Indivisible estimated 50 or so protesters participated throughout the two hours; we counted about three dozen when we arrived midway through.

We spoke to a few of the participants. The prevailing sentiment was an interest in protesting corporations in a time of skyrocketing inequality, though some expressed other concerns. “This [protest] is about boycotting billionaires. Ordinary people shouldn’t be paying what they’re paying for groceries, rent, and health care.” said Reinhardt. “I don’t want my grandchildren to live in poverty. … Nobody deserves any of this – there are basic things all people need.” said Sue M. “Amazon has a lot of power and needs to use it for good.” suggested Mary F.

Some said they had long been actively boycotting the companies on which “We Ain’t Buying This” is focusing. “I have been boycotting Amazon for the last 5 years, I really hate how they subsume and put out of business small local bookstores. [Those businesses] are just screwed at the expense of everyone else.” said Sue M.

There was also a theme throughout those gathered of reusing pop culture to remind people of their American identity. One protester, who wished to be identified only as “Your Friendly Neighborhood Captain America,” spoke of his reason to take on the costume for the protest. “He’s a character that stood out because he doesn’t like bullies. He’s a great symbol for our times; MAGA and Trump like to portray themselves as the ultimate Americans, but they’re not. Captain America is about what America’s ideals are – not what it settles for.” He noted specifically that the backstory of this superhero, a man rendered into a superhero by the U.S. Government in order to fight fascism, contrasts with the Trump Administration’s efforts to paint anti-fascist protesters as domestic terrorists.

Other participants were dressed as handmaids from Margaret Atwood‘s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” the famous novek about the consequences of heavily patriarchal rule under a theonomic version of the United States. They were bearing signs with statistics showing the ways in which reproductive care and the rights of women have gotten worse since 2022’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Despite their concerns, protesters said they also saw hope in the ability to gather for the cause. “More than just political shift or revolution, I want to see spiritual evolution, I want us to be more connected. Our disconnect and our tendency to give our power away [brought us to this political point] – but coming to a protest helps you feel connected with strangers, people that care, and that hope brings more community [for the future].” said “Captain America.”

The ‘We Ain’t Buying It’ campaign will continue until December 1st. West Seattle Indivisible plans to hold another protest at the Westwood Village Target on Black Friday, November 28th, between 8 and 10 AM. Organizer Reinhardt said they will be joined at that protest by members of Southend Indivisible and Vashon Indivisible.

11:32 AM: Thanks to Ian for the first photos. The “No Kings” gathering in the West Seattle Junction is happening now, an informal rally for those not planning to go to the main Seattle rally downtown.

11:37 AM: Hundreds of participants are crossing the intersection on the “Walk All Ways” light, standing on the corners inbetween, as shown by these two traffic camera screengrabs we took :30 apart four minutes ago:

11:54 AM: We have a reporter arriving in the area. Meantime, watching the live traffic cam, it’s not quite Portland-level goofiness, but we’ve noted costumes including inflatable-assisted unicorn, chicken, and dinosaur.(Also, a bald eagle.) Bucky also reports a bagpipe player. … Our reporter says there are also participants at other Junction intersections, including 42nd/Alaska and Oregon/California. And they’re lining California north and south of Alaska, to midblock.

12:19 PM: The 42nd/Alaska group has moved on. Our reporter, who’s been walking the perimeter, saw a few at California/Edmunds. And here from two minutes ago is an updated screengrab from the live-video SDOT cam at California/Alaska:

We’ve also been looking around for any signs of police monitoring; haven’t seen any marked cars or uniformed officers, no reported need for them either.

1:05 PM: We’ve moved on but are keeping an eye on the overhead traffic cam. Here’s a screengrab from two minutes ago:

The “official” end time for this is 2 pm. Meantime, as listed in our event calendar, a South Park group was planning to rally about now, and the “Old Tyme Adults for Democracy” group plans to be at Admiral/California at 2 pm.

1:56 PM: Traffic camera still shows crowds on the corners. Meantime, two more photos sent by readers:

(Photo sent by Jerry)

(Photo sent by Dave)

ADDED 7 PM: Thanks to JCV for sending more photo, including closeups of a couple characters we mentioned above:

Passing through The Junction this afternoon, we noticed the person above standing on the southwest corner of California/Alaska, holding two signs promoting Saturday’s planned nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations. The major gathering in our region is at Seattle Center. Some readers have asked us if any gatherings are planned in West Seattle or nearby; for those who can’t or don’t want to go downtown, we’ve received announcements for three:

–The Junction, 11 am-2 pm Saturday. We’ve heard about this from multiple people, including Lisa, who says almost 300 had RSVP’d (not required) as of earlier this week, so “If we don’t all fit at the intersection of California and Alaska, we’ll be lining up along California Ave.”

–Admiral Junction, 2-2:30 pm Saturday (the “Old Tyme Adults for Democracy” group that’s rallied there periodically for more than half a year)

–Solidarity South Park, meeting at South Park Plaza at 1 pm Saturday and walking to the SP Bridge

Any others, please let us know.

(Photo by David Hutchinson)

Tomorrow (Sunday, August 24) is Ukrainian Independence Day. Not only has someone draped the Alki Statue of Liberty in the Ukrainian flag, the beach will see two related events tomorrow. A rally supporting Ukraine freedom, as Russian attacks continue, is planned for Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza 10:30 am-noon on Sunday. The organization sponsoring it, according to the announcement we received, is Ukraine Defense Support. Immediately afterward, starting at noon on the beach, the Ukrainian Association of Washington State plans a Ukraine Independence Day Celebration and Picnic, scheduled to continue until sunset.

Thanks to Stewart L. for the photos and report on today’s rally as part of gatherings nationwide in memory of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, the civil-rights activist who said “good trouble” was needed to cause change:

I was at today’s West Seattle protest, with a crowd of about 150 people causing good trouble at the Alaska Junction. We had a drum line and the impassioned crowd was really into it.

Rep. Lewis died on this date in 2020 at age 80. The West Seattle rally was a late addition to today’s daily event list.

(First three photos by Dave Gershgorn for WSB)

The Statue of Liberty joined the Stars and Stripes as American icons carried Saturday afternoon during streetcorner rallies from Admiral Junction to Morgan Junction.

Previous rallies were held concurrently with similar actions across the country. This time, “Reclaim the Flag” was a West Seattle Indivisible standalone plan.

In comment discussion following coverage of previous rallies, someone has invariably asked, why do this – what’s the point? So we took that question to a few of the participants we found in Morgan Junction. Carol answered that question head-on:

I’m tired of people asking me if it does any good to come out, and I’m tired of answering yes. What are the other actions you could take then? Donating to a cause? Supporting [specific] politicians? This [protesting] isn’t the action for everyone, but anytime we can see the collective good, that is inspiring for people – whatever they may do. … I’m optimistic that for enough people the light bulb will come on – and that we [the people] are the only promise we have to make it better, that’s it, because this government is so corrupt.

(This photo and next by Torin Record-Sand for WSB)

Scott told us:

Each one of us standing on a corner makes a big difference, but not only that – the bus drivers waving at me, and all the honking [really shows support] … This is my chance to make up for me and my generation not finishing the job in the ’60s and ’70s, I’m glad to be able to make a difference if I can. … In the 1960s, we thought we were going to change the world, then we got married and settled down and didn’t follow through. … What’s going on now should make us appreciate democracy rather than taking it for granted – hopefully the backlash against the rise of authoritarianism will give rise to a resurgence of democracy.

We also talked to that trio in Morgan Junction:

Democrats are out of touch, and Republicans are flirting with fascism … The attacks on the Constitution, the [imprisonment] of immigrants [even with] green cards and visas, breaking the law – the law we’ve had since 1776 – who gives him the right? … The system doesn’t work any more, the legislative branch doesn’t want to act, the judicial branch doesn’t want to act – that leaves us with a king, which is unacceptable.

One added a comment related to the legislation that’s continued making its way through Congress this weekend: “I’m protesting the ‘big bad bill’ because it’s taking away health care – it’s going to make people die.”

WHAT’S NEXT: Most of those with whom we spoke said rallying/sign-waving isn’t all they’re doing; they’re also contacting members of Congress. Rally participant Gretchen suggested, “It is super easy to contact Congress if you are irritated enough.” (Whatever you want to tell them, links to contact info start here.)

(WSB photo)

You might already have seen the flyers posted around the peninsula. West Seattle Indivisible is planning another rally on streetcorners along California SW, from Admiral to Morgan Junction, this Saturday (June 28). Here’s the explanation they sent:

West Seattle Indivisible presents:
RECLAIM THE FLAG Street Rally

Saturday, June 28, 2025
12:00 PM – 2:30 PM
California Ave SW from Admiral to Morgan Junction

Fresh off the NO KINGS March, let’s keep building strength in numbers and reclaim our flag as a symbol of democracy, liberty, and justice.

Bring your:
* US Flags
* Noisemakers
* Pro-democracy signs
* Kiddos — this is a family-friendly event!

We’ll line California Ave SW from Admiral to Morgan Junction, spreading the message block by block.

Let’s make freedom loud, proud, and visible in West Seattle. See you there!

Back in April, the group drew hundreds to more than 20 streetcorners in West Seattle for its first rally/protest.

While Seattle’s biggest gathering as part of the nationwide “No Kings” demonstrations Saturday will be on Capitol Hill, gatherings have been announced at various spots and times in West Seattle. Here are the ones for which we received announcements:

Admiral/California gathering #1, 11 am-noon

Junction rally, California/Alaska, 11:30 am-1 pm

Arrowhead Gardens residents gathering along Olson Place, noon-3 pm

South Delridge Community Resistance “flash mob”: Noon-2 pm, 9400 block of Delridge Way SW

Admiral/California gathering #2, with Old Tyme Adults for Democracy, 2 pm-3 pm

SIDE NOTE #1: Various state and local political leaders issued statements earlier today urging protesters to be peaceful. And here’s what SPD has posted.

SIDE NOTE #2: Some West Seattle-linked bus routes will have reroutes on the other side of the bay because of the anticipated crowd. If you’re planning on taking Metro to the main rally – West Seattle Indivisible plans meetups at transit centers at 10:30 am.

Passing through The Junction on Saturday, we noted members of West Seattle Indivisible sign-waving, as planned, to remind people about the “No Kings” rally at Cal Anderson Park next Saturday (June 14), one of hundreds of planned protests nationwide. We’ve also been receiving questions by email, text, and voice about whether anything is planned here in West Seattle. So far, we have two answers:

#1 – If your concern is just getting there, transportation might be available, West Seattle Indivisible says. The group has filled up one bus with people interested in riding together to the Cal Anderson rally, leaving at 11 am Saturday from the West Seattle High School parking lot, $25 suggested donation. If they get enough expressions of interest, they’ll charter a second. You can sign up here if interested.

#2 – For those insistent on staying in West Seattle, Old Tyme Adults for Democracy sent us an announcement today for a street rally on the corners at Admiral/California on Saturday, 2-3 pm. Their group is based at nearby Brookdale Admiral Heights but all are welcome.