Mayor Wilson and the first kid celebrated Diwali (Image: Mayor Katie Wilson)
Community members and families celebrating Diwali at the Seattle Center Armory on Saturday pushed through an attempt by activists to disrupt the festivities.
The confrontation occurred during youth cultural performances at the annual Diwali: Lights of India festival. Attendees stepped in to eject the disruptors — a couple far-right political activists and internet personalities who frequently stage confrontations at public demonstrations and cultural gatherings and some hangers-on — before the situation could escalate further, ensuring the free, all-day celebration continued as scheduled.
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay condemned the hostility and commended the resilience of the gathering. “Diwali celebrates the triumph of light over darkness,” Zahilay said in a statement. “Those who came to spread fear will not define this holiday, and they will not define King County.”
In the wake of the confrontation, Seattle Center and festival organizers underscored ongoing security and safety coordination across the Festál cultural series.
Saturday’s disruption came amid escalated concern and tightened security at Seattle Center, elements the group behind the disruption were surely aware of. The campus was the scene of a deadly shootout this summer during the Bite of Seattle event.
There were no announced arrests in Saturday’s incident.
The Coalition of Hindus of North America called on authorities to confront bias targeting the community. In its statement, CoHNA stressed protecting cultural gatherings. “Unfortunately the response from authorities has been slow or lacking, with a reluctance to even name or call out the anti-Hindu bigotry driving many of these actions,” the organization said.
Presented by nonprofit Northwest SHARE as part of the Seattle Center Festál series, the festival filled the hall with classical dance and music.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, who attended the festivities with her child, denounced the stunt and effort to cause chaos at the festival. “We condemn the hateful nonsense from bigots who interrupted a beautiful Diwali ceremony at Seattle Center,” the mayor said in a statement.
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