13 Arrested After 'Mob' Breaks Windows at Olympia City Hall, IT Bus Stops

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A crowd of people holding shields moved through downtown in a "formation" that vandalized property last night, spray painting businesses, breaking ATMs, breaking bus stop windows along Capitol Way and Fourth Avenue, and ultimately breaking multiple windows at City Hall, Olympia Police said on Thursday.

Police issued more than a dozen dispersal orders, and 13 people were arrested after police declared the scene a riot and began making arrests, according to OPD spokesperson Paul Lower, who referred to the group as a "mob."

"These are people that are preparing to be a mob and destroy and harm things," Lower said. "They quickly confirm our perception when they move down Capitol Way and break things."

Two different groups assembled last night. Around 7:30 p.m. a group of about 20 people peacefully gathered in front of City Hall.

An hour later police became aware of a group of about 30-35 people convening at Sylvester Park, many dressed in dark clothes, puffy jackets, and protective gear such as helmets, goggles, boots, and gloves. Between 7-10 people also carried shields.

According to Lower, the group marched up Capitol Way and onto Fourth Avenue with a line of shields in a "formation," as others began destroying property.

The following businesses were spray painted: Olympia Federal Savings, US Bank, Quality Burrito, Jake's on Fourth, The Clipper, Johansen Olympia Dance Center, and Meineke Car Center. Numerous Intercity Transit bus stop windows were also broken, as well as an ATM machine.

As the group moved through downtown, patrol and bike-mounted officers issued dispersal orders.

Around 9 P.M., the group arrived at City Hall and began breaking windows. According to Lower, multiple police officers observed that the separate group that had peacefully assembled left the scene when the shield-wielding group arrived.

The group threw rocks at officers and shined lasers into their eyes, Lower said. After giving more than a dozen orders to disperse, police in riot control gear began making arrests for failure to disperse and disorderly conduct.



"The mob does not disperse initially here at City Hall, it's not until our riot control moves forward to go hands on with this mob to begin arresting that they scurry off to another location and re-form," Lower said.

Police used pepper balls (which deploy pepper spray), stinger balls (which explode and release rubber bullets) and blast balls (which make a loud boom noise).

At about 9:15 p.m., the group began to disperse, but some re-formed a few blocks away on State Avenue, also throwing rocks.

Lacey Police, Thurston County Sheriff's Deputies and Washington State Patrol were called to assist the response to what Lower called a "riot." OPD does this when they want a "high profile patrol," Lower said. WSP and Sheriff vehicles drove though downtown with lights on looking for "fragments of the mob" until after midnight.

By 10:00 p.m., the group had fully dispersed.

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