STRONG CONVICTION: @realmikesolan held Fri. press conf. supporting @SeattlePD officers. He also discussed being targeted by “fringe activists.” Remember, they marched to his home and tried to burn down @SPOG1952 headquarters. He sees they’re also going after journalists like me.
DIFFERENT WORLDVIEW: Interaction with an activist during height of Seattle’s riots.
ACTIVIST: You’re right wing media(KOMO) and putting these protestors in harms way by showing their faces.
ME: Huh? You’re on public property damaging buildings. Im just recording your actions.
SEVEN HILLS PARK ENCAMPMENT CLEARING BEHIND THE SCENES: This happened to our crew just a few weeks ago. We were confronted and demonized for showing this reality in Capitol Hill. City moved in days later and cleared this problematic camp. #Seattle
SEATTLE CITY HALL PARK ENCAMPMENT SWEEP: This past summer, we extensively covered the crime, drug use, shootings, and deaths associated with this park next to the King Co. Courthouse. Final day, this person with mutual aid kept coming at the KOMO crew with aggressive behavior.
FINAL DAYS OF CAL ANDERSON PARK HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT: Let’s not forget this debacle back in Dec 2020. Before the city moved in to clear it, every time KOMO crews showed up to film, we had to deal with people threatening us to leave. In the end, the city won and order was restored.
ANOTHER WELL KNOWN MEDIA HECKLER: As we filmed final days of Cal Anderson Park encampment, this fella tried to disrupt our gathering process. He followed us around Capitol Hill. My security finally intervened after he made contact with us. @mattmarkovich knows him well.
ANTIFA BLACK BLOC: This was another classic moment in 2020. These violent activists surrounded Cal Anderson Park. When we showed up to do interviews, they started throwing rocks and bottles at us. Even with security, we left immediately and went LIVE in a safer location.
ACCUSED OF BEING FASCIST: I was in Seattle’s Lake City neighborhood this past September, and this kid rolls up and starts to swear at me. I was a little taken aback. My photog and I rolled. He also referenced @MrAndyNgo
This is when I knew my reporting was having an impact.
BAILED OUT BY SEATTLE POLICE: Multiple incidents like this. We’re gathering and then some random dude comes up and starts to berate us for being KOMO TV. To this day I still don’t know who this @SeattlePD officer is, but I want to thank him.
SUMMER OF LOVE 2020: @KIRO7Seattle@KING5Seattle@fox13seattle@komonews reporters and photogs had umbrellas shoved in our faces covering multiple riots, like this one where Antifa/ black bloc folk hijacked a protest and torched the new youth jail being built in Seattle.
FELT HORRIBLE FOR THIS PHOTOG: What are they trying to hide? ☂ ☔️ Moments later, violent activists torched buildings and went on a rampage, also targeting corporate owned biz like @Starbucks and @amazon#Seattle#SummerOfLove
THIS WAS SCARY: I got separated from my security guard. As I was recording the violent activists vandalizing @WholeFoods in Seattle’s First Hill, the guy with this beak mask tried to stop me from recording. He grabbed my phone, but I wrestled him to the ground and got it back.
UNIDENTIFIED ATTACKER: First time I am publicly talking about this incident. Many of my journo colleagues know. This is the guy who assaulted me and tried to take my phone. He also chased me through the crowd, but I managed to escape just with this banged up elbow. #SummerofLove
SOMEONE MUST HAVE RECORDED? If anyone has video from July 25,2020 and captured this assault near @WholeFoods on First Hill, please let me know. It’s even more proof that journos in America are also being targeted for doing their jobs. @pressfreedom
NEEDS ANOTHER HOBBY: So this is one of the many threatening and hateful DM’s I’ve received. But this person’s been relentlessly coming at me since last year. Is it worth reporting to @Twitter? 🤷🏾♂️ #Seattle
THIS IS A NEW ONE: Never been called a “White Nationalist.”
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NEW: WA Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal(@RepJayapal) just introduced a bill that allows homeless people to camp on federal land if they have no other options. This was simply political theater and won't go anywhere. Here's the real problem for Jayapal. 🧵👇
Despite billions of dollars spent over the years, Washington state has the third largest homeless population in America with more than 31K people living on the streets. That's likely an undercount. This is all happening under Jayapal's watch.
Part of the problem is her far-left progressive ideology. Here's what she recently told the Seattle Times: “Because I don’t think that homelessness is a failure of the individual,” she said. “I think it’s a failure of the system. I think it’s a failure of our policymaking.”
NEW: Saturday evening, independent journalist
@camhigby got ambushed and sucker-punched by an Antifa thug. So far no arrests.
Higby says he suffered a concussion. But it could have been far worse if he wasn't wearing a helmet and carrying pepper spray. 🧵👇
Higby says Antifa acolyte Tyler Hahn is the one who outed him in the crowd and physically pinned him to the ground. But Higby says another man is the one who threw the punches.
Higby says this man right here is the primary attacker and threw the punches. Let’s make him famous. @SeattlePD
#BREAKING: Seattle restauranteur David Meinert says the massive Microsoft Build (@Microsoft) developer conference won't be returning to Seattle next year after attendees complained about urban decay, open-air drug use, and numerous tents lining the streets.
🧵👇
Meinert is also torching Mayor Bruce Harrell(@MayorofSeattle) for allowing these conditions to prosper in the downtown core and claims the Downtown Activation plan is bloated with bureaucracy and is lacking leadership.
Pro-Hamas protesters also disrupted Microsoft Build 2025 in Seattle, harassing attendees with insane glitter bombs.
NEW: Hundreds of evangelical Christians will pack Seattle City Hall Tuesday evening (5pm) to demand an apology and resignation from Mayor Bruce Harrell(@MayorofSeattle.)
Over the weekend, he called their concert an "extreme right-wing rally." 🧵👇
Instead of condemning the Antifa violence, the Mayor victim blamed the Christians and accused them of hosting their event at Cal Anderson Park to provoke the LGBTQ community. Here is the original release.
The Mayor lied. I have obtained an email showing the Christians actually wanted to host the concert at a park near Pike Place Market. The city suggested other options like Cal Anderson Park and then gave out the permit.
EXCLUSIVE: Monday night, Antifa and pro-Hamas activists rampaged inside the University of Washington's Interdisciplinary Engineering Building.
They vandalized the joint and left all kinds of evidence showing their tactics. This was methodical and planned well in advance. 🧵👇
BREAKING: Cops say pro-Hamas student group Super UW has hijacked the Interdisciplinary Engineering Building at the University of Washington.
Protesters say they have renamed the building “Shaban al-Dalou” and they will not leave until demands are met. They released their manifesto below. 🧵👇🏽