Seattle closes light rail stop before ‘Shut it down for Palestine’ protesters march on station

A flier circulating several days before the action stated, “Shut it down! For Palestine, Saturday, January 20th 6-8 p.m. U District Link Station.”

The flier was posted by multiple anti-Israel and pro-Hamas groups including Samidoun Seattle, which is tied to the designated terror organization Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)and advocates for convicted terrorists to be let out of jails, said they want to "...denounce the links between the publicly-funded Sound Transit and multinational conglomerate Siemens, who works to enhance Israeli occupation and colonization in Palestine.”

The group was joined by various other organizations including Antifa, communist, and Marxist activists who vandalized various signs and posts with stickers promoting antisemitic rhetoric and anti-capitalism messaging.

An hour before the action was scheduled to begin, Sound Transit announced the U-District Link light rail station would be closed and that trains would bypass the stop.

Sound Transit posted at 5:06 pm, “Heads up riders: Due to a planned protest, we have closed the U District station for safety reasons. Trains will be bypassing the station. We apologize for the additional inconvenience this causes our riders during our current service disruption.”

The network was already experiencing delays due to pre-scheduled repairs slated for this weekend.

When asked why Sound Transit Board Chair and King County Executive Dow Constantine allowed the station to be shut down, Sound Transit Spokesperson John Gallagher told the Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, “Multiple options were considered, but the potential safety hazard created by anyone accessing the tracks or tunnel with an intent to disrupt service was deemed too great to merit anything less than closing the station.”

“Closing the station in advance of a planned protest does not infringe upon the rights of protestors," Gallagher added, "as they have no legal rights as it relates to accessing the transit system and potentially occupying it with an intent to disrupt operations. We thank our passengers for their patience. We understand that this station closure compounds an already difficult time due to the planned disruption.”

The action comes only two weeks after anti-Israel activists blockaded the I-5 freeway running through Seattle, trapping motorists and at least two ambulances for almost 6 hours.

There have still been no arrests despite activists posting videos online bragging about the successful blockade.

In a statement to The Ari Hoffman Show, spokesman for the Washington State Patrol Chris Loftis said, “The investigators will follow the evidence where it leads them and when appropriate provide that information to the King County Prosecutor’s Office for review and decision on whether charges will be brought.”

He added, “WSP is always reviewing and updating our tactics in response to criminal activity. As the tactics of lawbreakers change, so too do our own tactics in investigation and law enforcement. We rarely discuss the specifics of tactics but we are working with our partners in law enforcement to devise greater deterrence as well as improve response efficiencies and capacities.”

Critics have slammed elected officials and the WSP for their inaction and senior attorney at the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute Ted Frank has offered to help trapped motorists sue the activist groups for damages.