YAKIMA, Wash. — Central Washington Resistance held a protest in Yakima, which drew a larger crowd than usual following recent events in Minneapolis. The protest, originally planned earlier in the week, was extended by an hour in response to the Minneapolis incident.
Tia Hawley, a member of the group, emphasized the importance of the movement.
“We’re growing, and this movement is going to take all of us standing up and letting our government know that we don’t support their choices,” she said.
Hawley, who has participated in several demonstrations, urged others to use their voices.
“This is going to take so long for us to undo. I believe at this point that the majority of Americans understand that this is wrong. We all need to use our voices as Americans to communicate that this is not okay,” she said.
During the protest, Hawley carried a sign to express her views and highlighted concerns about government reports.
“ICE disarmed a man and then shot him ten times and then got on TV and said that he approached them with a weapon. brandished. At no point during the interaction that I saw did this man produce his weapon from the holster. We need to be recording everything because the accounts that our government is giving us are not lining up with what people are seeing on the ground,” she said.
Hawley expressed pride in the community’s support.
“When we started, we didn’t know how much support we would get. But every time we do this, I’m proud of Yakima. And I’m proud of everyone involved in our group that helps make these possible,” she said
The protest, located just a short walk from an ICE detention center, saw mixed reactions from passing cars, with both honks of approval and gestures of disapproval. Despite differing opinions, the event remained peaceful throughout.
