Historical Witness: Protests about the War in Gaza

NOTE: this is not any kind of political commentary. I'm not commenting in favor or against any side here. I just saw something that matches the historical moment we're living, and as such I wanted to take pictures of it, to be a witness to History. If you're making any inference about any political preferences here, you're doing it wrong.

Yesterday I was walking in Capitol Hill, a neighborhood close to downtown Seattle, and just as I was passing by the Seattle Central College, I saw that a protest was just starting. Being a curious person, I wanted to see more of it and also take pictures of it, so that could serve as being a witness to History as it happens.

It was pretty clear that the protest was against the current War in Gaza and the US role in it. I found it interesting to see how the mechanics of the whole thing worked: first, all the participants gathered in the front lawn of the Seattle Central College. Then, at a given time, some cars that were participating in the protest closed a block on Pine street right in front of the college, and the mass of people started walking into the street.

Everything seemed to be well planned: there were two lines of cars with their hazards lights on, usually keeping a street block closed. In front of the first line of cars there was a line of bicycles, that from time to time would advance one block and close the street ahead, immediately being followed by the first line of cars. Behind that first line there was a small pickup truck where there were loudspeakers, which were blasting someone saying protest slogans. Then, following that pickup truck there were two large banners and then the crowd moving forward. After the crowd there was the second line of cars closing things up. Following that, at some distance, there was a discrete Seattle Police presence.

The whole crowd was chanting along with what was being said on the loudspeakers. They all seemed very energized but peaceful, as they all marched forward. I asked one person in the crowd and he told me that the protest was going to walk all the way to Westlake Park, right smack in the middle of Seattle downtown. You can get there by walking straight on Pine street, so that made sense, and Westlake Park has been the location of other protests before. In any case, it was quite interesting to see that mass of people moving together. It made real to me the times we're currently living in.