City of Seattle Sets Up Mayday USA Revival Group.
Something big happened in Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park in May 2025. An organization called Mayday USA held a Christian prayer rally that turned into a riot with fights, arrests, and a lot of arguing. There’s still talk about it, and even the FBI got involved. Here’s a simple breakdown so you’ll see what happened.
What Was the Rally About?
Mayday USA, a Christian group, organized a rally at Cal Anderson Park on May 24, 2025. They planned to pray, sing, and discuss their beliefs, including opposing abortion and certain views on gender and sexuality. The event was part of their “Don’t Mess With Our Kids” tour across five cities. A group of about 500 people attended.
Cal Anderson Park is in an LGBTQ+-friendly neighborhood, and many locals felt the group’s message went against their community. As a result, a large number of counter-protesters, who supported LGBTQ+ rights, showed up to oppose Mayday USA’s rally in the park.
What Went Wrong?
The rally started peacefully with people praying and singing. However, around 1:30 PM, things escalated. Counter-protesters, some in black masks and clothes, began throwing bottles and rocks at the rally group and the police. The police, there to maintain safety, got caught in the middle, and one officer was injured and had to go to the hospital.
The police had a tough time stopping the fights. They arrested 23 people—22 adults and one kid—for throwing things and fighting with officers. One person even pulled a knife on a 17-year-old, which was pretty scary. Some people also reported that counter-protesters were behaving inappropriately in front of kids, doing things that weren’t suitable for a public park.
Why Was the Park a Big Deal?
Cal Anderson Park means a lot to many people in Seattle. It’s named after the first openly gay person to help make laws in Washington state, and it’s in a neighborhood with a large LGBTQ+ community. For many, it’s like a home base. So, when Mayday USA got permission to hold their rally there, some people were upset. They felt the city shouldn’t have allowed the group to use the park because their message clashed with the neighborhood’s values.
Mayday USA didn’t choose the park to cause troubles. They originally applied for a permit to hold their event at Pike Place Market, but the city denied it and suggested Cal Anderson Park instead. The group’s leaders, Pastor Russell Johnson and Folake Kellogg, said they followed the city’s instructions. However, some people believe the city made a mistake by allowing the rally at a place so significant to the LGBTQ+ community.
What Did the Mayor Say?
Seattle’s mayor, Bruce Harrell, spoke out after the rally, calling it a “far-right rally” and saying it was held in the park to provoke people. Even though the city told them to go to that specific park. He emphasized that Seattle is a city that welcomes everyone, (almost everyone), “especially” the LGBTQ+ community, and he complained about the trouble caused by the event. (Which the city caused) The mayor also mentioned plans to reevaluate how the city decides who can use the park to prevent similar issues in the future.
The Christian group wasn’t happy with the mayor’s comments. They felt he was unfairly blaming them for the fighting when they were just trying to pray. They also thought it was unfair to label them as “far-right” or accuse them of trying to cause trouble, believing the mayor was targeting them because of their beliefs.
The FBI Gets Involved
The fighting at the park became so intense that the FBI decided to investigate. Dan Bongino, an FBI official, said they were looking into whether the Christian group was attacked because of their faith, calling it “targeted violence” and aiming to ensure religious people weren’t being treated unfairly. While some supported the investigation, others, like the mayor’s team, felt there wasn’t much to look into.
What’s next?
The city decided that the Christian group won’t be allowed to hold another big rally at Cal Anderson Park in August as planned. Instead, they’re looking for a different location to avoid more conflicts and keep the park peaceful. Meanwhile, some people are organizing a quiet gathering outside a church called Pursuit NW to discuss human rights and show their disagreement with the Christian group’s ideas.
The police are still deciding if anyone will face serious charges for the fights. Since all the arrests were of protesters and none were attendees, it seems almost like the city planned to sabotage the event using permits. Only one case has been reviewed so far. The rest might receive minor punishment or no charges at all.
Why Does This Matter?
This whole thing is a big deal because it’s about people’s rights. The Christian group said they should be free to pray and share their beliefs, even if some people dislike them. Counter-protesters say they’re standing up for their community and don’t want messages that make them feel uncomfortable in their neighborhood. Both sides think they’re right, and that’s why it got so messy.
It’s also about how cities decide who uses public places like parks. Should everyone get a chance, even if their ideas upset people? Or should some places be kept for certain groups? These are difficult questions, and Seattle is still trying to answer them.
In Conclusion
The rally at Cal Anderson Park began as a peaceful prayer event but quickly turned into a chaotic clash between leftist groups like Antifa with opposing views. Police, the mayor, and even the FBI got involved. It’s a clear example of how intense emotions can escalate, leading to loud and sometimes frightening situations. Hopefully, Seattle can find a way to allow people to express their beliefs peacefully without harming anyone.
So this is where we are now. Until Next Time: Courage