WATCH: WA Dem: ‘Long road back to common sense’

(The Center Square) – Tuesday brought the second rally and contentious counter protest in Seattle in four days between faith based groups and trans activists. Now, the FBI is taking notice.

The agency’s deputy director, Dan Bongino, made the announcement on X writing that the agency plans to investigate allegations of targeted violence against religious groups related to last weekend’s chaotic rally at Cal Anderson Park.

Bongino wrote: “We have asked our team to fully investigate allegations of targeted violence against religious groups at the Seattle concert. Freedom of religion isn’t a suggestion.”

Nearly two dozen arrests were made last weekend during the event, which was permitted as a faith based worship event by MayDay USA, which describes itself as a Christian Pro-Life organization.

The handling of the event and Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s response fanned the flames, as Harrell issued a statement following the Cal Anderson incident suggesting organizers intentionally chose Cal Anderson to provoke a reaction in the heart of Seattle’s LGBTQ+ neighborhood.

Christian organizers then posted on X, emails from the mayor’s office that suggested they hold the event at the park.

Tuesday’s rally in front of Seattle City Hall called on the mayor to apologize or resign. Signs carried by rallygoers read “Farewell to Harrell” with several attendees wearing t-shirts that said “God Save Seattle”.

Brian Anderson is the Washington state coordinator for a group called Democrats For An Informed Approach to Gender. He attended the Tuesday rally and spoke with The Center Square about his shock at the vile reaction of trans-rights protesters who tried to derail the event at city hall.

On its website, Democrats For An Informed Choice to Gender (DIAG) says the organization is focused on protecting children and adolescents from . . . “Influencers and activists who encourage and affirm distress about one’s healthy body; Clinicians who profit by pathologizing typical adolescent discomfort, and a gender-medicine industry that markets harmful cosmetic body modification as a solution to distress.”

“I am a lifelong Democrat and I am not a particularly religious person, but I came down to the rally to support the rights of the speakers to speak and not be intimidated by violent left-wing extremists,” said Anderson. “The people inside holding the rally were all of them peaceful that I saw. I didn’t see any anger. What I saw from the people on the streets was physical intimidation and violence against people trying to get into the rally, and I think that our free speech rights are the cornerstone of our democracy, and all of us need to stand up when we see people trying to take away those free speech rights.”

Anderson said in his circle of Democrats, when it comes to the issue of gender and trans rights issues, he’s been shunned, even though he believes his opinion on the issue is shared by the majority even in his own party.

“If speak out against males competing in girls’ sports and you get shunned. “Or on trans identifying males in women’s prisons, I was kicked out of a Democratic Facebook group because I spoke out for protecting women,” said Anderson. “So, tensions are high, and it’s a shame that one side of this debate is trying to shut down any discussion of this. If you don’t agree with everything they say, they call you a transphobe, they call you a bigot, and they don’t want to discuss it. And I think they know that they don’t have good arguments.”

As reported by The Center Square, SPD made eight arrests during Tuesday’s protest at city hall.

Anderson said while it’s discouraging that the trans movement has divided people to the point of violence, he’s not giving up trying to find common ground.

“There’s some folks who are open to dialogue and you know, I haven’t completely given up on trying to change some minds. That said, in Washington state, the far left progressives control the political party and they control Olympia, and they are controlling the agenda and the dialogue. It’s gonna be a long road back to common sense for Democrats in Washington state.”