Spokane’s ‘No Kings’ protest nets 11 arrests

Eleven people were arrested during the “No Kings” protest that followed Spokane Pride on Saturday night.

A Spokane Police Department news release said the protest began as a peaceful event with the department’s Tactical Team communicating with protest organizers to ensure safety. Protests began around 3 p.m. and grew to well over 10,000 people. Around 5 p.m., a group of protesters began moving from Riverfront Park through downtown Spokane. They marched through downtown for hours as local law enforcement held back traffic on the streets surrounding them, traveling with the march as it moved.

Officers began warning protesters who were blocking roads to disperse when the march arrived back in front of City Hall more than three hours after it began,the release said, because they were disrupting traffic routes and creating unsafe conditions. By 8:44 p.m., the crowd had dwindled and officers gave dispersal orders to those who remained.

The news release said officers started arresting people at 8:58 p.m., and just a few minutes later, officers deployed a round of smoke and pepper balls to “gain compliance.” Another volley of pepper balls and smoke was deployed around 9:15 p.m. Those arrested were recommended for the charge of failure to disperse, with one also getting malicious mischief for allegedly spray- painting the street.

Saturday’s arrests follow the arrests Wednesday of 30 protesters in downtown Spokane following a demonstration against the detainment of two men who entered the United State legally who are seeking asylum.

At least one spent foam bullet round was found along Spokane Falls Boulevard immediately following, although the release does not make mention of officers deploying less-lethal crowd control munitions.

Officers vacated Spokane Falls Boulevard around 9:30 p.m., after the roughly 100 people remaining returned to Riverfront Park. The group then resumed marching on downtown sidewalks.

The news release clarified that a curfew was never set for Saturday night, and police never ordered evacuations of River Park Square Mall, only asking mall leadership to direct people leaving toward the south exits.

Spokane police Chief Kevin Hall said in the release that the department will continue to review its actions to make sure they reflect its values of professionalism, accountability and respect for constitutional rights.

“The Spokane Police Department fully supports the right to peaceful protest and remains committed to protecting that right while ensuring the safety of everyone in our community,” Hall said.

Spokesman-Review reporter Nick Gibson contributed to this report.