U.S. Department of State / Wikimedia Commons (Left), KOMO News video screengrab / YouTube
In the wake of a violent disruption at a Christian prayer rally in Seattle, International Christian Concern (ICC) is demanding a formal apology from Mayor Bruce Harrell, accusing him of slandering peaceful participants and emboldening anti-religious hostility.
The May 24 rally at Cal Anderson Park, organized by Mayday USA to affirm Christian faith and family values, was violently interrupted by counter-protesters, CatholicVote reported. The situation escalated into physical assaults and objects thrown at participants and police.
The event took place in the heart of Seattle’s LGBT district after the city denied the organizers’ request for an alternative location and instead directed them to Cal Anderson Park. According to a recent press release from ICC, the majority of the counter-protesters included members of Antifa and LGBT groups.
Despite 23 arrests tied to the counter-demonstrators, no Mayday USA members were detained — yet Harrell labeled the Christians as instigators, calling the event a “far-right rally.”
“Seattle is proud of our reputation as a welcoming, inclusive city for LGBTQ+ communities, and we stand with our trans neighbors when they face bigotry and injustice,” Harrell’s statement read. “Today’s far-right rally was held here for this very reason – to provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city’s values, in the heart of Seattle’s most prominent LGBTQ+ neighborhood.”
The ICC, a prominent global advocate for persecuted Christians, argued that the mayor’s rhetoric is not only misleading but dangerous, setting a precedent where lawful public worship is vilified and criminal aggression excused.
“This baseless scapegoating is a direct assault on the First Amendment and a betrayal of America’s commitment to religious liberty,” ICC said in its release.
ICC President Jeff King sharply criticized Harrell’s portrayal of the incident.
“I am appalled that Mayor Harrell would blame Christians for being violently attacked for public worship,” he said. “Unfortunately, it’s reminiscent of police in years past blaming women for rape. This is a grotesque betrayal of religious freedom.”
King called on Harrell to “pick up the Constitution and Bill of Rights to refamiliarize himself with the protections handed down by the founders.”
With the FBI now investigating the incident as part of a broader probe into “targeted violence against religious groups,” ICC insisted that Harrell must retract his comments, issue a public apology, and commit to ensuring future protections for peaceful religious gatherings.
King urged the public to contact Harrell’s office to “politely but firmly express their opinion and demand an apology to Seattle’s Christians.”
“Seattle’s failure to defend these worshippers mirrors the persecution we fight worldwide,” he said, “and we demand an apology and immediate action to uphold First Amendment rights.”
