Local politicians join anti-racism protests on Seattle's Capitol Hill, criticize use of pepper spray

A day after the city and the Seattle Police Department a 30-day ban on using tear gas to disperse crowds, officers instead used pepper spray and flash bangs to push protesters back from a barricade set up at 11th Avenue and Pine Street — actions that were promptly slammed by city council members.

Tensions escalated at about 7:45 pm., Saturday, as reports from the scene of further anti-racism protests, sparked from the death of George Floyd at the hands of police, from local media and protesters on Twitter said officers began grabbing umbrellas and moving on the crowd, giving them orders to disperse. The Seattle Police Department said in statements that some had thrown "makeshift explosives" at them as well as rocks and bottles. The tweeted picture by SPD of one of the explosives looked to be a candle instead.

Gas clouds in the air prompted many protesters on social media to accuse the city of going back on their word to ban tear gas, however the mayor's office and police department denied any use of it. They instead allegedly used OC cannisters — pepper spray — according to tweets from protesters.

“This is NOT what de-escalation looks like!” Seattle City Council President Lorena Gonzalez tweeted Saturday night, saying she was outraged by officers' responses.

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