At 6:30 p.m. on Friday night, April 9, a group of around 30 family, friends and wives of the Seattle Police Department gathered to show their support of the SPD, waving signs and blowing whistles along Delridge Ave s.w. with the Southwest Precinct just behind them. A smaller group of five SPD protesters set up shop across the street.

The pro-police rally was the latest in a series at different precincts throughout the city, and in contrast to the more common SPD protests that have gathered in Seattle’s past, most recently in reaction to the decision that woodcarver John T. Williams’ shooting by SPD officer Ian Birk would not result in charges (Birk has since resigned from the force).

The police supporters held signs declaring, “Thank you for your service,” “Keep up the good work SPD” and “Thank a cop, they deserve it” and blew whistles and cheered as cars passed by.

The protesters across the street held signs such as “The people of Seattle say guilty; Justice for John T. William; Jail Ian Birk,” and said they were representatives of the October 22nd Coalition to “stop police brutality, repression and the criminalization of a of a generation” according to their website, www.october22.org.

Officers from the Southwest Precinct were present as well with a squad car parked at the corner of Webster and Delridge that occasionally had its siren fired up in support of the supporters.