Protesters Picket Mayor’s Home After He Dares Suggest Funding Police

(NationRise.com) – Far-left demonstrators descended on Seattle Democrat Mayor Bruce Harrell’s private residence on October 1st after his announcement to increase the city’s police funding.

Harrell announced a $17 million increase in the Seattle Police Department’s budget to combat an unprecedented rise in crime across the city. Seattle’s 2023 homicide rate exceeded 2022 numbers in just the first quarter. Harrell also noted a historic recovery of guns by police in the city.

The proposed budget includes payroll for new officers and new surveillance technologies across the city.

Activists responded by blocking the street in front of Harrell’s home with signs and chants. The crowd, which dubbed its event “Justice for Jaahnavi,” a reference to a woman hit and killed by a police cruiser earlier this year, was a few dozen strong.

Seattle has been rocked by an unprecedented rise in crime wave ever since the far-left’s violent BLM insurgency that took place across the nation in 2020. During that time, rioters took over a significant portion of the city and dubbed it the “Autonomous Zone.”

Harrell’s predecessor, Jenny Durkan, supported a cut in police funding in 2020 as violence continued escalating. She proposed a $20 million cut during the last half of the year, a historical move at the time. She ultimately signed an 18% cut after it was approved by the city council in December of 2020. A significant portion of the police force left or transferred soon after.

Harrell notably spoke against defunding the police during his campaign for mayor despite the movement’s growing popularity in Seattle. His opponent, M. Lorena González, supported the move and campaigned on a promise to slash police funding by 50%.

Other blue cities that have publicly supported the “Defund the Police” movement have also seen significant increases in crime. San Francisco is one of the most prominent examples, where looters brazenly steal goods in full view of the public and even news crews. Many large retailers are closing their San Franciso stores in response. Others are locking merchandise behind cases.