After more than three months, some I-5 protesters have been charged
104 days after protesters blocked all lanes of Northbound Interstate 5 in Seattle, six of them have been charged.
The charges are misdemeanors such as disorderly contact and criminal trespass. They were filed Friday in King County District Court. Five more people are still under investigation for possible charges.
On Jan. 6. protesters calling for a ceasefire in Gaza blocked I-5 near Olive Way in Downtown Seattle for around 5 hours.
Washington State Patrol says there were far more protesters than they could immediately remove. There are normally about 6 troopers patrolling the area. Dozens more were called in to assist, but that additional response took time to materialize.
WSP issued a dispersal order which protesters eventually complied with. No one was arrested that day.
KIRO 7 asked the King County Prosecutor’s Office why it took so long to file charges. We saw a similar protest at SEA airport on Monday and most of those arrested have already been charged.
The difference in this case is that none of the protesters were arrested at the protest and had not been identified.
Investigators had to search through photos and videos of the protest and match faces seen at the protest to driver’s license photos.
