Our live webcast from the Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction
The show from December 31, 2020, featured guest host, Jennifer Smith. This special edition of Malcontentment Happy Hour was a countdown of the top five stories we covered in 2020.
COVID-19 predictions from March 2020
May 30, 2020, George Floyd protests in Seattle
Seattle CHOP – May 30 to July 4
Seattle Labor Day March and our CCO gets doxxed
Political fallout in Seattle from 2020
We also had four runner-ups.
Life is stranger than fiction – Yakkity Yak and the Portland Police Department
Matthew, the religious protester who was everywhere in 2020
Our live webcast from the Seattle Anarchist Jurisdiction
malcontentment happy hour – December 14, 2020
Governor Inslee proposes several equity measures for the upcoming state budget
Up to 40 million Americans face homelessness in 2021 and a $2.5 trillion transfer in wealth will happen if Congress doesn’t act
COVID vaccine arrives in Washington, but don’t take those masks off just yet
Right-wing violence from racists, domestic terrorists, and militant Trump supporters continues to escalate
Olympia Washington protest on Saturday, December 12, 2020 results in one shot – Forest Machala arrested for the shooting
Red House update from December 13, 2020, with approved video from behind the barricades
Part two of our interview with Nikayla Rice
Malcontent News has been approved as a Google News source
Editor comment: The video of the Olympia, Washington protest has the wrong date on it of December 10, 2020. The correct date is December 12, 2020. We apologize for the error.
Update: Guenzler was still in custody in Thurston County jail as of 4:40 PM Tuesday, December 8, 2020.
Thurston County officials have set bail at $50,000 for a 27-year-old Port Orchard 27 man accused of shooting and pistol-whipping two different people during a rally in Olympia earlier this month. Chris Guenzler’s bail is $25,000 for each of the two charges, first-degree assault and second-degree assault. Furthermore, the court has ordered that he cannot possess or reside in a home where he may have access to firearms. A pre-trial report indicates that he currently lives with his parents in Port Orchard, stores guns in his room and that his father has a gun safe in the home where additional guns are presently stored.
On December 5, multiple journalists aligned with both the left and right media report capturing video of Guenzler pistol-whipping an individual, then waving his firearm before placing it back in its holster. Through various videos obtained through social media, it was noted he was tracking a specific subject as he discharged his firearm. Guenzler was taken into custody following a review of this evidence and was cooperative but noticeably nervous during questioning.
Guenzler’s social media profile showed a years-long pattern of supporting white nationalist ideology. He was attending a pro-Trump “Stop the Steal” rally in Olympia and was caught on camera committing numerous violent acts during the afternoon. Guenzler is currently awaiting arraignment in Thurston County Jail, which the court has set for December 22.
Community manager Ty Steele contributed to this story.
Thurston County officials have charged Christopher Michael Guenzler, with 1st-degree and 2nd-degree assault after shooting a protester on Saturday afternoon in Olympia, Washington. Guenzler was being held without bail and did not have an attorney as of this morning. If the district attorney pursues both charges, Guenzler could be looking at a maximum of 45 years in prison.
On Saturday, Trump supporters and anti-maskers planned a rally in Olympia, Washington. They are following baseless and unproven claims of widespread election fraud at a national and state level and that COVID is a hoax.
Multiple journalists aligned to the political left and right caught the incident on camera. Guenzler, wearing a lime green sweat jacket with a “don’t tread on me” graphic, brandished a sidearm earlier in the protest. Counter-protesters and Trump supporters got into a scuffle, with the Trump supporters charging as counter-protesters were moving back.
Individual who fired his gun earlier in the day can be seen at the :23 second mark pointing his firearm at protesters. According to an Olympia Police officer, that individual has been arrested & they are currently investigating the shooting. #Washington#Portland#Protest#fightpic.twitter.com/e4LQFPWb79
You can hear multiple paintball rounds being fired in the videos while counter-protesters are struck, ironically, by poles with American flags on them while the flags land on the ground. One of the Trump supporters also deployed bear mace. Guenzler pulls his sidearm again and fires a single shot into the crowd. Protesters from both sides make an audible gasp after the sound of gunfire, and both groups back away.
During the melee, police did nothing to divide the protest groups and only observed. According to social media, the victim, who has not been identified, received a single gunshot wound. Guenzler was also identified at the anti-mask rally outside of Governor Jay Inslee’s house on Thanksgiving day. During that protest, 50 to 75 anti-mask protesters, some armed, blocked the road while sharing a potluck meal. During speeches that followed streamed live by journalists, protesters got increasingly angry, with some calling for violence and criticizing Loren Culp, a failed gubernatorial candidate, for directing them to stop engaging in direct action. The governor was not at his Bainbridge island home, and no direct threats were made against the governor. At that event, Washington state police aided protesters by blocking the road.
Support for white supremacy, Trump, and election fraud theories
Guenzler’s social media footprint shows strong alignment to the Trump campaign and far-right organizations. His profile includes pictures with confederate flags in 2016. He is a graduate of Port Orchard High School, and according to his social media profiles, attended Kitsap High School for some time. His profile shows an affinity to sexualized content, guns, Trump, and white supremacy.
Chris Guenzler in 2016, from his public Facebook profile
Stop the steal is a baseless Qanon conspiracy theory. The claims include that dead Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez tampered with Dominion’s software, a voting machine company. Recent additions to the idea include boatloads of illegal ballots arriving by ship from North Korea to a port in Maine.
In Georgia, Stop the Steal protesters advocate not voting on January 5, 2020, Senate runoff. The special election in Georgia will decide which party controls Congress’s upper chamber, with significant implications for the incoming Biden Administration. The idea being, that by not participating, impossible vote results will come out of counties, including “negative results” for the GOP candidates. Georgia has done two recounts and one audit of their results from November 4 and found no fraud evidence.
The Trump Administration has filed dozens of court claims at the local, state, federal, and with the Supreme Court of the United States. In total, 46 court cases have been thrown out due to lacking evidence or merit, including by judges appointed by Trump. Joe Biden won the US election by more than 7 million votes in the popular vote, and with 306 delegates from the electoral college. As of Friday, 279 electors have been certified for Biden. The electoral college will meet on December 14, 2020, to cast their votes for president.
The right-wing shooter from Olympia WA today is Christopher Michael Guenzler.
Since the September 7, 2020, SPOG Rally, where Seattle Police used flashbangs, blast balls, pepper spray, and sponge-tipped rounds almost indiscriminately, the department has shifted tactics. By early October, they have modified how they use bike officers and have virtually eliminated the use of explosives. This shift in tactics has resulted in targeted arrests.
Previously, when engaged with protesters, officers would standoff, then move in force at an entire group due to a single protester’s action. Officers on bicycles would typically lead these charges supported by officers on foot. These tactics created a stronger response from protesters and injured more people. Sweeping arrests occurred with suspects misidentified, credential press and medics arrested, and charges filed with no supporting evidence.
Local news affiliate KOMO reported that Mayor Durkan praised police officials for their change in tactics. “The Seattle Police Department is getting better now at being able to target arrests, to isolate people in the crowd that are [sic] doing the destructive things. We will continue to arrest people for that [criminal acts during demonstrations],” Durkan said.
What do these new tactics look like
SEATTLE POLICE ARREST TACTICS – NOVEMBER 30, 2020
November 30, 2020, the 21st anniversary of the WTO riots protest, highlights how SPD has changed tactics. Protesters broke windows at a Starbucks on 12th Avenue while SPD officers observed at a distance. As recently as October, this kind of action would have created an immediate response by police. Instead, officers followed protesters for a half-mile while controlling their route through a residential neighborhood. When the protesters tried to move off of 16th, SPD blocked their direction and kept them northbound using a dispersal order.
As the protesters continued to march, Seattle Police moved to within arms reach at times. Bike officers stayed on the street, and officers on foot walked on the sidewalk. Tactical support was provided by a vehicle equipped with LRAD, additional officers in two vans, and a SWAT unit in the Bearcat.
Radio communications and discussion from officers indicated they were planning a targeted arrest. SPD moved protesters toward the intersection of 16th Ave, E Madison Street, and E Pine Street. This intersection provided a broad paved area, bright lighting, and multiple routes of access. Additionally, it is a pocket of commercial businesses.
When the protesters reached East Pike Street, SPD moved back while confirming their target for arrest. They started to clear the street of medics and press, who usually follow behind direct action groups, to create an exact route. The officers on foot moved ahead of bike officers while staying on the sidewalk. When the protest group entered the intersection, Seattle Police moved quickly.
Officers ran on foot into the group of protesters, tackling three individuals. Officers on bicycles operated in a supporting role and created a protective circle. While making the bike barricade, they separated the protesters into two groups. Although officers have frequently used bikes as barricades, this appeared to be a secondary action.
After the arrests and another dispersal order to move up 16th, Seattle police bike officers made several false charges, stopping short just inches from the protesters. Police used a small amount of pepper spray, with a couple of protesters impacted, but made no additional arrests.
Two tactics that haven’t changed? First, Seattle police continue to give dispersal orders while not allowing protesters to disperse. Second, dispersal orders continue to drive protesters back to the protest starting point, where officers disengage.
Was it a change in leadership
These changes started to form almost immediately after the retirement of Chief Carmen Best. Under Best’s leadership, Seattle Police seemed to use tactics that inflamed protesters and the public. The actions have resulted in multiple civil lawsuits for injuries and property damage at the hand of SPD.
Back on June 1, protesters were met with OC, tear gas, and flashbang grenades when the Seattle Police department erected the Western Barricade in Capitol Hill. The asymmetrical tactics by the Seattle Police resulted in more protesters assembling at the Western Barricade daily. An estimated 2,000 on June 2 swelled to 60,000 by June 6. Protesters faced escalating violence each day, reaching an apex on June 7. The Seattle Police Department controversially abandoned the East Precinct on June 8.
The Seattle City Council stepped in and banned tear gas use. Additionally, a federal judge also established a protection order on August 10. These orders didn’t stop the general use of force against protesters by the Seattle Police. According to the ACLU, there was disproportionate use of force on August 16, August 25, and September 7. The federal courts issued an order on August 10 as a result of SPDs actions on July 25. Those tactics now seem to be part of the past, even with large groups of protesters.
To observers and experts on civil unrest, the broad targeting of all protesters creates a vicious cycle. For every peaceful protester exposed to police violence, several more take their place. It also reinforces the Black Lives Matter message of police violence against people who aren’t breaking any laws.
No other city demonstrated this better than Portland, Oregon. When federal officers arrived and escalated the situation, the number of protesters swelled from around 100 to as many as 10,000. The area around the federal courthouse became a hotbed of civil unrest, receiving international news coverage. When federal officers left the city, the number of protesters dropped off quickly.
Whether these changes are due to the direction of Chief Diaz or the result of pressure from court orders, OPA investigations, and lawsuits, public interest in protests is declining. Unfortunately, the racial inequality that impacts the BIPOC community has not changed.
On Monday, Seattle Police Officer’s Guild President Mike Solan addressed area realtors during a webinar hosted by Seattle King County Realtors. During his presentation, Solan stated that race wasn’t an issue in King County and that Black Lives Matter activists were hurting Seattle property values.
This is so disturbing. I just joined my first Realtor meeting EVER and SPD police chief union is telling realtors that race is not issue. And that property values are being impacted by BLM activists pic.twitter.com/MT9eUJ5mB8
Despite Solan’s claims, a review of the Seattle King County Realtors Twitter feed paints a different picture. On November 6, 2020, the trade organization linked to a Windermere Economics Report that indicated the King County real estate market is in excellent condition. The report cited the high price of land as a factor restricting construction, stating “New construction permit activity is lagging due to expensive land prices and challenging regulatory fees. Builders are starting to adapt to meet demand by adjusting their products.“
For existing homes, the report indicates that a lack of homes for sale continues to create a challenging market, “Overall sales activity for single-family resale homes has increased despite low supply and home prices having [sic] more than doubled in eight years. 2020 sales are expected to exceed 2019 but are still being limited by supply.” In a forecast by Matthew Gardner in the same report, reasons cited for departure from the Seattle-Bellevue core included heading to “cheaper markets” and “renters…[turning] into buyers as more people who can work remotely can relocate further from work for cheaper homes.“
Further in the report, Gardner writes, “new and existing condos are troubling.” In a Seattle Times report in 2018, a study indicated that 88% of 2017 new residential construction in Seattle was high-density units – the same properties that have become undesirable due to COVID.
The COVID era has created a new generation of tech employees flush with cash. An Amazon employee who started in January of 2018 has seen their stock options grow 274%. For a Microsoft employee, the growth is 243%. With interest rates at historic lows, employees at both tech giants are no longer beholden to the South Lake Union or Redmond campuses.
According to Redfin, the median home price in King County has swollen to $690K, a 10.8% increase over last year. The average time on the market is 23 days, with the listing going for 1.6% over the asking price. According to Windermere, the median sale price in Seattle is $800K, an increase of 6.5% over the previous year.
In support of Gardner’s market observations, SeaTac, Kent, and Sammamish have seen home prices grow by 14.7% or more. Despite Solan’s claims that BLM activists are depressing Seattle home prices, Shoreline, Kirkland, Burien, Renton, Federal Way, and Snoqualmie also have seen prices grow by single digits. Gardner calls out Boeing specifically as an economic black spot. Boeing has recently made announcements that put the Renton factory’s future in question, creating uncertainly in the market.
In October, a survey of 400 area residents by Crosscut/Elway showed significant citizen support for Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Seattle and King County. Seventy-five-percent of Seattle respondents said they supported or mostly supported the protests. Another Redfin study indicated that 30% of Americans want to move from cities or changed plans to move to a city due to civil unrest. The same survey also revealed that 23% of respondents liked where they lived even more, despite the turmoil.
The Redfin story cites a condo that went for sale just a block from the former CHOP that even had windows smashed during the summer unrest. The unit sold in five days, beating the average time on the market by 18 days. Daryl Fairweather wrote, “For some families, the protests, curfews, and looting that have taken place in 2020 may have played a role in the decision to leave big-city life behind, but remote work and record-low mortgage rates were likely the driving factors.“
Unless Congress takes action in the next 29 days, a looming explosion of foreclosures and evictions will start this winter. In Washington state, over 200,000 families could lose their homes in 2021, creating another wave of wealth transfer. Despite Solan’s claims of Black Lives Matter impacting the real estate market, area real estate data, and studies from experts in the field don’t support his position.
Seattle King County Realtors did not respond to a request for a statement.
Approximately 75 to 100 protesters marched through the Capitol Hill area on Monday to recognize the 21st anniversary of the WTO riots. The march also marked 180 days of continuous protest in Seattle. The protesters, dressed mostly in black, gathered in Cal Anderson Park before moving over five miles.
A group of 75 to 100 protesters moves through Seattle Univesity.
With Lt. Diamond on LRAD, Seattle Police arrived within minutes of the marchers moving onto Broadway. The protest continued down Broadway before turning into Seattle University outside of Swedish Hospital. Seattle police declared that protesters were blocking hospital access over the LRAD system, while nearby SPD officers mocked COVID restrictions.
A couple of protesters broke windows at a Starbucks on 12th Ave, while the smell of fresh spray paint hung in the air. Shortly after, Seattle police bike officers started to follow the protest, while a squad of approximately ten officers moved on foot. Seattle police discussed targeted arrests as they closed in on the protesters.
At East Madison Street and 16th Ave, Seattle police took three into custody during the night’s first arrests. During the arrest, someone threw a glass bottle at officers. Using their LRAD, a warning was issued to disperse immediately. SPD claims that multiple bottles and rocks were thrown during the arrests on the Seattle Police Twitter feed. Video taken during the arrests by numerous journalists and streamers do not support their version of events.
Seattle police arrest three at Madison and 16th during the WTO anniversary march.
The protest snaked through residential areas that Seattle police were pushing the protest group through. Despite moving protesters into neighborhoods, the Seattle police were issuing “apologies” via LRAD for the disruption. Protesters moved dumpsters, construction barricades, rental scooters, and recycle bins into the road to slow SPD officers’ advance.
During the march, Seattle police deployed pepper spray on several protesters, who were seen being treated by medics. There was an additional arrest, however, it was a couple of blocks from the leading protest group. The Seattle Police blotter states the arrest was for property damage.
The protest moved north toward Volunteer Park, passing Uncle Ike’s on 15th Ave East. The group paused only briefly at the controversial cannabis store, where there were sounds of windows being struck. There did not appear to be any broken windows at the store, and the Seattle Police blotter made no mention of any damage.
Seattle Police officers caught up to the protest group and declared the march an unlawful assembly. As the group moved north, SPD maintained less than a 20-foot gap between themselves and the protesters, often only being a few feet away.
During this push by Seattle Police, multiple protesters claim an officer used a racial slur against protesters, calling one of them a n****r. During this same time, we could hear Seattle Police officers disparaging Seattle Public Schools and COVID restrictions in response to a protester chant to the tune of A-B-C-D.
SPD bike officers advance on protesters during the WTO anniversary march.
Protesters took a return route to Cal Anderson Park, with significant amounts of graffiti in their wake. Seattle police made one more charge into the protest group, grabbing one individual on the sidewalk and immediately releasing them back into the protest group. The final charge appeared to be an act of unprovoked aggression by officers as the protest was winding down.
Police assets involved included the previously mentioned LRAD system, two vans, several police vehicles, and the SWAT team Bearcat. Protesters returned to Cal Anderson Park around 10:30 PM, and Seattle Police disengaged the protesters.
The Seattle Police Department’s Community Response Group were waiting outside Mayor Jenny Durkan’s home in the Windermere neighborhood of Seattle on Saturday when protesters from the Everyday March arrived.
The police, dressed in riot gear and armed with “less lethal” weapons — along with other munitions — immediately gave a dispersal order to the peaceful demonstrators, witnesses said.
The SPD also stopped and cited every vehicle that was part of the “car brigade,” according to an EDM organizer. The vehicles were there to keep protesters on foot safe from road traffic.
A small group of officers was still on-site when we arrived on the scene.
Today represents the 155th day of continuous protest in Seattle.
This is a breaking news story.
Journalists, activists, and researchers defending the First Amendment
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