SEATTLE — An after-action report details how protesters were able to fully-block all lanes of northbound Interstate 5 in Seattle for hours, causing miles of backup on the freeway and creating gridlock in the city on Jan. 6.
About a dozen vehicles "clearly well-orchestrated and choreographed" were used to bring traffic to a stop around 1:15 p.m., according to the Washington State Patrol. Traffic wasn't fully flowing again until just after 6 p.m.
As the event unfolded, law enforcement estimates as many as 500 people were involved, either on the freeway or in surrounding areas, which slowed response time, according to the report. People were able to access the freeway via a hole in a fence nearby.
Among those protesters was a small group of around eight people who had chained themselves together with a device known as a "Sleeping Dragon." The device is used to hinder first responders as they require extra time to safely dislodge protesters who have bound themselves together.
The state patrol called in additional resources and District Command authorized activation of the Rapid Deployment Force.
As law enforcement was working to clear the blockade, Seattle police were engaging with them to de-escalate and seek voluntary compliance to leave. According to the report, the communication from Seattle police was misidentified between agencies and state patrol re-tweeted errant information.
"We regret that error as there had not been a dispersal order at the time of the social media posts, but rather an effort to engage with the protestors seeking their voluntary leaving of the freeway," the report states.
The group willingly left eventually, abandoning the vehicles used to block traffic.
"The abandonment of vehicles after the protest ended was a new tactic used by protestors that further delayed the reopening of I-5. Before the vehicles were towed, WSP called in bomb-sniffing dogs to ensure the vehicles did not pose a safety risk to tow truck drivers, motorists or law enforcement," the report states.
No physical arrests were made. However, the report notes that that does not mean charges won't be referred, nor that "some of those engaged in organizing and/or participating in this will not be held accountable for their criminal conduct."
"This was a highly organized and coordinated effort by a very large number of committed individuals," the report concludes. "The sheer size of the crowd and new tactics of clustering a significant number of vehicles and then abandoning them once the protestors left the freeway, along with the use of the Sleeping Dragon device, combined to create unique safety challenges that increased and prolonged the tasking and efforts, as well as increasing the tools and personnel necessary for the eventual safe resolution."
