WA Governor who refused National Guard for Seattle's 'autonomous zone' calls up Guard to protect Governor's Mansion

Friday, Washington State Democrat Governor Jay Inslee called up National Guard troops to protect the state Capitol campus in Olympia, including the Governor's mansion,  when the Legislature goes into session on Monday.

This comes in response to a pro-Trump rally in front of the state Capitol building on Wednesday, a few hours after the riot at the Capitol in Washington, DC. A group broke away from the larger demonstration in Olympia, WA, and forced their way through a gate and onto the grounds of the Governor’s mansion.

Law enforcement told the crowd in front of the mansion to disperse and remain peaceful or they would be arrested. The crowd dispersed peacefully and returned to the main group in front of the Capitol Building. Originally Washington State patrol had said that Inslee and his wife were in a "secure location." It was later revealed that they were in the mansion at the time of the protest.

Governor Inslee ordered 750 members of the National Guard to help with security at the state capitol on Monday. The governor’s office said that at least some of the troops on duty Monday will have their weapons.

However, this summer when violent riots rocked downtown Seattle, Inslee sent National Guard troops to the area unarmed.

Rioters vandalized buildings, burned police cars, were seen with weapons including molotov cocktails and even stole automatic rifles out of police vehicles during the riots in downtown Seattle before Inslee called up the unarmed Guard.

According to a Post Millennial exclusive, during the armed occupation of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood last summer, Seattle city employees tasked with dealing with the occupied protest, asked for the National Guard, and were denied that help by Governor Inslee. Businesses and residents in the zone sent hundreds of emails to the Governor and local officials asking for help.

When federal law enforcement officers were deployed to Seattle during the armed occupation, nightly riots and protests blocking freeways, Inslee demanded they be removed from the city.

This is the same Governor Inslee who claimed he did not know about an armed occupation in the state's largest city. "That's news to me" Inslee responded when asked about it a day after the autonomous zone was established.

According to KIRO 7 News, "state lawmakers will also find new fencing when they return to the State Capitol for beginning of the 2021 legislative session. The new fencing surrounds the Capitol building, the Supreme Court building and the legislative office buildings all have additional protection."

It remains unclear how many protesters, if any, will show up in Olympia on Monday following the riot at the Capitol and the breach of the fence at the Governor’s Mansion. According to KIRO 7, "some of the organizers of protests scheduled for Monday have called them off, but it’s unknown who may show up anyway."

Hot button agenda items, including the lockdown restrictions and police reform, are slated for consideration by the legislature on Monday.