Protests, permits, and public notice
A missed opportunity in Sequim
A city-approved protest of 2,000 people is happening in Sequim tomorrow—yet no one was told.
The permitting process exists not only to grant official permission for events but also to ensure the public is informed and prepared. It provides municipalities with an opportunity to alert residents, businesses, and visitors that activity is planned in their community.
Tomorrow—Saturday, June 14—the City of Sequim has issued a permit for a protest expected to draw approximately 2,000 participants.
The application was submitted by a Port Angeles resident on behalf of Indivisible Sequim. However, despite the scale of the event, and the decision being made 10 days ago, there has been no public notice in local newspapers, no coverage from radio stations, and no update on the City of Sequim’s official news webpage.
The permit application indicates that no notification was provided to nearby businesses, and while it mentions that around 20 volunteers will assist with traffic crossings, there is no mention of coordination with the Sequim Police Department or other public safety support.
There is also no information on where the estimated 2,000 attendees will park, or what restroom facilities—if any—will be available to them. With large national retailers like Walmart and Home Depot in the immediate area, this raises concerns about unplanned strain on private parking lots and restrooms, especially for businesses that were never formally notified.
Yesterday, a resident spoke with customer service representatives at Home Depot, who were unaware of the upcoming event. They expressed genuine appreciation for the heads-up.
This raises an important question: what is the purpose of granting a permit if the broader community remains uninformed and unprepared?
For those planning to visit Sequim’s west end tomorrow—particularly the intersection of Priest Road and Washington Street (home to Home Depot, Walmart, First Federal Bank, and more)—please be advised: an organized protest will take place from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Expect congestion, possible delays, and a large pedestrian presence.
The first question should how many Sequim City Council members belong, or are sympathetic to, Sequim Indivisible.
All of this is to try to counter the 250th birthday of the US army when on June 14th the continental army was formed. Happens to land on Trumps birthday so they mock the process by calling in "No Kings's day" when in reality it is a defacto anti-Trump rally.