Police respond in force to largely peaceful Spokane protests over immigration enforcement

When two protests against deportation actions by federal agents met up on Washington Street in Spokane Wednesday evening, the city issued a curfew and multiple police agencies filed into the area to push protesters away from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility just blocks away.

But well before the 9:30 pm curfew took effect (and before it was officially announced at 8:24 pm), Spokane police officers deployed chemical irritants around 8:15 pm apparently to push the crowd back, sparking outcry from protesters who'd been chanting, "We are peaceful, let them go."

During a press conference at 10 pm, Spokane Police Chief Kevin Hall said his officers did not use tear gas, but did deploy inert gas and pepper balls, which are shot at the ground and release a pepper spray cloud into the air.

The situation had intensified over several hours throughout the afternoon on Wednesday, June 11.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation in Spokane had already planned a protest for 7 pm at the Red Wagon in Riverfront Park to show solidarity with Los Angeles protests against ICE. But just before 1 pm Wednesday, former Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart posted publicly on his Facebook calling for community support as a man in his care was being detained.

"Three weeks ago I became the legal guardian to a young man from Venezuela seeking asylum. He has turned in all paperwork and has a future court hearing. I went with him to ICE check in today. They detained him and are shipping him to Tacoma," Stuckart's post read. "I am asking that if you care at all about these illegal detainers you meet me at 411 West Cataldo by 2pm. I am going to sit in front of the bus. Feel free to join me… The Latino community needs the rest of our community now. Not tonight, not Saturday but right now!!!!"
Dozens showed up to support Stuckart as they waited to see if ICE agents would bring the young man out of the facility to a bus parked out front. As the crowd attempted to block both access to the bus — with one protester spray painting the windshield white so it could not be driven, and another attempting to park too close to the vehicle for it to move — and another exit from the facility, things escalated. People learned there were two young men being detained who would likely be transported to ICE's detention facility in Tacoma.

As RANGE Media and other news outlets on scene reported, Spokane police showed up to try to negotiate the release of the men, but also told the protesters they needed to stay on the sidewalk or they'd be arrested. The protesters in that area were later ordered to disperse.

By 6:30 pm, people had started gathering for the protest planned in Riverfront Park. Aware of the activity just blocks away on Cataldo Avenue, the group planned to gather and then march toward the facility to join the other protesters.

Spokane Police Department had blocked off Washington Street, so the protesters in the park organized into groups of willing observers and those who would be willing to be arrested in the name of civil disobedience, and around 7:30 pm, the group of hundreds began marching through the park.

As they marched, they chanted things like, "immigrants are welcome here," "one struggle, one fight, all unite for immigrant rights," and, "What do we do? Stand up, fight back."

Once the two groups joined, the now larger group of protesters chanted to "let them go."

Stuckart was detained by officers and booked at Spokane County Jail for "failure to disperse," with his bond set at $500. He was released overnight, and posted again to his Facebook page, arguing the men were illegally detained, as they were following the legal process to live and work here.
Police arrested more than 30 people, and deployed less lethal crowd control devices on the largely peaceful protesters.

While nearly all arrests were misdemeanors, at least one person, Justice Forral, who has worked for years on civil rights issues in Spokane, was booked on multiple felony charges on suspicion of "unlawful imprisonment," according to Spokane County Jail booking records.


Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown called a press conference at 10 pm Wednesday — by which point the protest had largely dwindled, with only 30 to 40 people remaining in the area of Washington Street — to explain that Stuckart had called her to inform her of his plans to peacefully protest in an attempt to prevent ICE from taking the two men from the facility.

Brown said she called Washington Attorney General Nick Brown to ask for advice on the city's response to the protest and the situation involving the young men.

"Ben did inform me members of his group intended to peacefully protest and they intended to stay at the facility until they were arrested," Brown said.

When asked by a reporter why Spokane police were sent to the activity at the ICE facility, when the Keep Washington Working Act prohibits local law enforcement from assisting in immigration enforcement, Brown said the city's officers were only there to keep the peace and enforce municipal laws, which prohibit people from being in the street. As tensions rose in the area of the facility on Cataldo, she told police to respond.

"I made the decision that the safest course of action was for Spokane police, not ICE, to try to safely disperse the crowd, try to convince the protesters to leave, and if not, to follow through with arrests of any violation of Spokane municipal code," Brown said.
She said she issued the curfew with plenty of warning so people could leave the area, including people at ONE Spokane stadium, where a soccer game was taking place.  A press release announcing the curfew was sent at 8:24 pm, after chemical irritants had been deployed.

"I know there is tremendous fear amongst our local immigrant and refugee community. My heart goes out to families who are separated or are fearful of what might happen to them in their workplace or as they proceed about their lives in Spokane," Brown said. "That's why I've been coordinating with some of our local partners to understand how we can be supportive of some of those communities, because in Spokane, we all belong."

The mayor said her team is also working to understand how best to comply with state and federal laws during the evolving situation.

"I just want to reemphasize, I don't know the total size of people who came through the area in those several hours, but the vast majority were peaceful expressing their viewpoints, as they have every right to do, and were compliant with officers," Brown said. "[Protestors] did not expect that they would be successful in stopping ICE, a federal agency, from completing their mission."



When asked if the situation in LA — where protests against ICE occurred over the weekend prompting an outsized response from President Donald Trump who deployed National Guard and Marines— affected her response, Brown confirmed she felt the city needed to respond.

"We're all aware ... of the situation that unfolded in Los Angeles and the deployment of National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to that city. ... and I think as we demonstrated this evening that the city is capable of conducting interactions with peaceful protests, utilizing our methods to try to deescalate them and to keep the public safe," Brown said. "It was fairly clear to me that if there was no Spokane police presence, that that could be used as a justification for federal National Guard or other federal agents to come in and take control of the situation."

Editor's Note: This story may be updated, and the Inlander will continue to report on the situation this week.