(The Center Square) – The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is following through with charges against six people involved in the Interstate 5 pro-Palestinian protest earlier this year.
The Jan. 6 protest caused a six-mile traffic backup on the highway for about five hours. Videos on social media showed hundreds of protestors on the highway, chanting phrases such as “Hey hey, ho ho, the occupation has got to go!”
Out of 12 people referred by the Washington State Patrol, six were charged on Friday. Five are being charged with criminal trespass in the second degree and disorderly conduct. The other is being charged with disorderly conduct.
According to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, police investigators referred these cases as misdemeanors, not felonies.
Five other individuals are still being investigated and one case was declined due to insufficient evidence to prove charges against the defendant.
No one was arrested by police at the Jan. 6 protest. In comparison, the recent protest at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on April 15 had 46 people arrested and booked that day.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office stated that the Jan. 6 incident had to have police identify people later on based on admissible evidence, which creates a different legal scenario compared to when someone is booked and identified and fingerprinted the same day.
“We understand that people may not understand the need for follow-up work between Jan. 6 and today, but we wanted to ensure we were in a position to prove these cases beyond a reasonable doubt,” the office stated in a news release. “Our legal and ethical obligation is not the mere filing of charges, but in filing charges we can prove beyond a reasonable doubt in court.”