Protesters in Seattle smashed the windows of a marijuana store and scribbled “gentrifier” outside, according to a report.
A group of 150 people gathered Wednesday night at Cal Anderson Park before turning off windows and starting a couple of fires on Capitol Hill, including one inside a business that firefighters later extinguished, police told the Seattle Times.
At another nearby business, Uncle Ike’s, which advertises itself as Seattle’s “favorite pot store”, protesters wrote the word “gentrifier” on the front of the building, which also had some of its windows broken, according to shows a video.
Protesters then targeted another store, breaking into Rove Vintage, where they stole goods before setting those items on fire in the middle of a street, the newspaper reports, citing police and videos.
Meanwhile, Rove Vintage is owned by the wife of one of the Seattle police officers who fatally shot a pregnant black woman three years ago, according to city and state business records cited by the newspaper.
Two banks were also damaged and another business on Broadway and Madison streets was also looted, according to the report.
No arrests were made, police said.
The violence occurred when a federal judge ruled Wednesday night that it will allow a recent ordinance passed by the Seattle City Council to prohibit police from using tear gas and pepper spray during continued protests against police brutality that they will enter effective on Sunday.
The ruling came days after 12 Seattle police officers were injured when a downtown protest turned violent. Police officers were wounded by mortar-style fireworks fired at close range, police officials told reporters.
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