Battle of Seattle

Morning, 30 November

The Seattle Police have garrisoned the Convention Center, while crowds of protesting Union members have gathered in Westlake Center and at the Westin Hotel. A crowd of environmentalists gathered at the Sheraton Hotel. Crowds of liberals are at Pike Place Market and the Chamber of Commerce.

Anarchists hold a meeting, effectively leaving them immobile for the time being.

Another crowd of environmentalists appeared at the Waterfront. Meanwhile, numerous groups of anarchists (3), radicals (5), and yahoos (3) appeared, gaining control of the entire downtown core, except the Convention Center.

Radicals moved toward the Convention Center. All other protester groups stayed put.

Another Seattle Police unit showed up at the Westin Hotel. The protesters did not attack police.

A third SP unit showed up at the Chamber of Commerce. All SP units attempted to clear out protesters.

Seattle Police made arrests at the Chamber of Commerce, leading several liberals away in cuffs and dispersing the crowd.

At the Convention Center, police failed to disperse the radicals, and when the radicals counterattacked, the police retired.

Police at the Westin Hotel elected to disperse the radicals but to leave the Union workers alone to avoid risk. They chased the radicals away.

The Seattle Police declare Stage 2 escalation.

Reserve SPs arrive at the Convention Center. The plan is to try to clear the Convention Center and Westin Hotel. Meanwhile, the police at the Chamber of Commerce move north toward the crowds at the Sheraton Hotel.

The police at the Sheraton disperse the crowd of environmentalists, leaving the radical group there unmolested.

The police and radicals at the Convention Center have an indecisive standoff, as do the Union workers and the police at the Westin Hotel.

The Seattle authorities have 33 on the exposure index, and the protesters have 16.

Mid-day, 30 November

A crowd of workers forms at the Chamber of Commerce, and two more radical groups, one anarchist group, and two yahoos arrive. The protesters plan to reinforce the Westin Hotel, the Convention Center, and the Sheraton Hotel.

In a major move, the Seattle authorities call for help from the Washington State Police and the Washington National Guard. The authorities’ popularity plummets for such extreme measures.

Radicals moved from Seattle University to reinforce the Convention Center and the Sheraton. The crowd of workers at Westin Hotel moved on to the Convention Center. Radicals and anarchists took over the fight at Westin Hotel.

More police arrived at the Chamber of Commerce.

At the Westin Hotel, the radicals and anarchists chased the police away. The police also fled the Convention Center, but only after chasing off the radical groups there. By noon, only the crowd of workers remained. At the Sheraton, the police stood their ground and arrested a handful of radicals.

Three squadrons of police arrived at the Convention Center as the police tried a new tactic of mass. Meanwhile, other squadrons attempted to clear the Sheraton and the Chamber of Commerce.

The police eventually cleared the area around the Convention Center of angry workers, but only after two of the three squadrons were demoralized. Meanwhile, the crack police unit at the Sheraton arrested more radicals there, dispersing the others. Unfortunately, the police took a beating from angry workers at the Chamber of Commerce and eventually retreated from there.

By noon, the protesters were clearly winning in the public eye, 31 to 19.

Afternoon, 30 November

A crowd of environmentalists formed at the Westin Hotel, making it a stronghold of protest with no police in sight. Another crowd of workers formed near Seattle University, threatening the recently cleared Convention Center and Sheraton.

A crowd of liberals formed in the Lower Town, and another by First Hill. More police reinforcements arrived in the reserve pool, while only two squadrons held the lines at the Sheraton and the Convention Center.

The protesters planned to attack in strength to remove the last vestiges of police power. Four anarchist groups, one radical group, and one liberal crowd converged on the Sheraton. Two anarchist groups, two radical groups, a crowd of environmentalists, and a group of yahoos attacked the Convention Center.

As the attackers massed, they left sparsely held areas in the rest of the downtown core. A Seattle PD unit arrived at Pier 666 in an attempt to disperse the liberal crowd there.

The police at the Sheraton broke and ran, but not before they caused the liberal crowd to retreat from the violence. At the Convention Center, the police also retreated, but they managed to arrest a key anarchist, and to chase off the yahoos and the liberal crowd.

Police again opted for mass tactics, four squadrons descending on the Convention Center in an attempt to bag the key anarchists there. One of the anarchist groups was tipped off and escaped before their arrival. The police nabbed one anarchist group, but the other protesters held their ground and chased off one squadron. The police at Westin Hotel permanently dispersed a Union crowd, but there was a standoff between police and Union crowds at Westlake Center. At Pier 666, both police and the liberals there retreated.

By dusk the protesters are still clearly winning, with 46 to 21.

Night, 30 November-1 December

More angry workers showed up at Pier 666 and at the Sheraton. Liberals formed up at the University and in Boren, while an environmentalist crowd formed at Capitol Hill.