Seattle Protestors Recount 'Surreal' Experiences At City Demonstrations
As nationwide demonstrations and marches persist, Seattle protesters continue in honor of George Floyd. With curfews, thousands of misconduct complaints, and social media outrage, Narcity reached out to locals to recount their experiences. In the last few days, protesters experienced a range of emotions.
"Everything was so surreal," recounted Codee Volkman, 24, from Bellingham, Washington, who attended the protest on Saturday.
Similarly, Alice Mukora, a 25-year-old woman from Seattle, spent six or seven hours at the protests on Monday, June 1.
"My feelings evolved and metamorphosed. I felt invigorated and supported but also frustrated and exhausted for a myriad of reasons," said Mukora.
She mentioned how many of the chants along the protest centered around naming the most recently known black victims of racial crimes.
"The only names being said for the most part were those of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. I was glad to hear mention of Tony McDade, but my heart hurts for those not being mentioned at the time as if we had forgotten their stories."
*As the marches went on, some members of the community aided fellow protestors.
"People had wagons filled with bottled water and masks, free for everyone! It was truly amazing to see everyone come together," explained Volkman.
*The June 1 demonstration near East Precinct had been declared a riot by Seattle Police after "crowd threw rocks, bottles and fireworks at officers and attempted to breach barricades."
Another takeaway that was shared was the experience of being face-to-face with police.
"I had the opportunity for face to face time with some officers. It was surreal," explained Mukora.
*According to Kiro 7 News, some officers took a knee with protestors during June 1 demonstrations to show their solidarity.
After the sixth night of marches, Mayor Jenny Durkan met with some members of the community. It resulted in the Seattle curfew being lifted.
*This article has been updated.