Seattle cop seems to defend leftists blocking traffic, says 'purpose of protesting' is making us 'a little bit uncomfortable'

A Seattle police officer was caught on video Saturday standing feet away from left-wing protesters blocking downtown traffic — and he also seemed to defend their actions in the faces of annoyed motorists, telling them "it is what it is" and that the "purpose of protesting" sometimes means making others' lives "a little bit uncomfortable."

What are the details?

A few minutes into the rather astounding clip — which journalist Jonathan Choe posted on X — one of the trapped drivers asked the two officers on the scene, "Why can't you help us turn around?"

Image source: X video screenshot via @choeshow

With that, one of the officers replied, "We don't have the resources to do all of that, but we're doing what we can, which is monitoring" the protest.

The officer then added the coup de grace: "Like, this is kind of the purpose of protesting, is to kind of bring awareness to what they're protesting by making everyone else's life a little bit uncomfortable."

The exchange took place just after the 2:20 mark on the below video.Content warning: Language:

While police in the clip said permits aren't needed for protests, one individual, clearly frustrated by the protesters blocking traffic, told Choe, "Cops aren't doing anything! That's illegal! They cannot block traffic! But the cops are standing there doing nothing. It's ridiculous! There's f***in' 30 cops out here, and no one's doing anything!"

Image source: X video screenshot via @choeshow

Choe also spotted two other people who appeared to abandon their vehicles in a backed-up traffic lane as they headed to the sidewalk and presumably toward their destinations. (Hey, not necessarily worse than paying for parking, eh?)

Another trapped motorist good-naturedly told Choe that while he's on the protesters' side, he "would like to go home."

Image source: X video screenshot via @choeshow

Seattle police on Monday — in response to Blaze News' request for comment regarding the officer who appeared to lecture the trapped motorist by saying the "purpose of protesting" is to "kind of bring awareness to what they're protesting by making everyone else's life a little bit uncomfortable" — issued the following statement: "The rights to free speech and peaceable assembly are guaranteed by the First Amendment. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) takes seriously its responsibility and commitment to support and facilitate the exercise of these rights in a fair and equitable manner, without consideration as to content or political affiliation, with as minimal a footprint as is reasonably necessary to preserve public safety and order."

This story has been updated with a comment from Seattle police.

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