A Christian revival group is suing the City of Seattle after Mayor Bruce Harrell publicly blamed them for a violent clash in May, an event where they were assaulted by radical left-wing agitators who threw urine-filled balloons and committed lewd acts in front of children.
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The lawsuit, filed Sept. 26 by Liberty Counsel on behalf of MayDay USA, accuses Seattle officials of discriminating against Christians and violating their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights.
Christians Targeted and Blamed
MayDay USA, a nationwide revival movement calling Americans to turn back to God, held one of its events at Cal Anderson Park, a location the city assigned after denying the group’s request for Pike Street. Organizers said they accepted the park at the city’s urging.
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During the rally, the Antifa-like agitators disrupted the gathering, throwing urine-filled balloons, harassing volunteers and committing obscene acts in front of families. Police arrested 23 people as the violence escalated, but the mayor offered no sympathy for the victims.
Instead, Mayor Harrell accused the Christian rally of provoking the violence by holding an event “opposed to our city’s values” in a neighborhood known for LGBTQ activism.
Religious Freedom Under Attack
The lawsuit condemns the mayor’s comments, saying Seattle blamed the victim while ignoring the assaults on peaceful Christians. “Violent agitators threw urine-filled balloons at Plaintiffs… Did the Mayor condemn the violence? No, he blamed the victim,” the complaint states.
Plaintiffs, including Russell Johnson, Jenny and Robert Donnelly, Ross Johnston, and Her Voice Movement, are asking the court to stop Seattle from using event permits to discriminate and to declare the city’s permitting process unconstitutional.
Liberty Counsel argues that Seattle used its authority to silence Christian voices, saying the city “weaponized its unbridled discretion” to restrict faith-based speech.
Calling Evil Good and Good Evil
Seattle’s actions reflect the moral inversion warned of in Isaiah 5:20: “Woe to those who call evil good,
and good evil.” When a mayor blames Christians for violence they suffered and excuses those who commit it, that warning becomes reality.
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The same government that once defended freedom of religion now appears to limit it to popular beliefs. Yet Scripture reminds believers in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.”
Standing Firm in Faith
The MayDay USA lawsuit stands as a test of whether America will protect religious liberty, the foundation on which it was built. Despite growing hostility, Christians continue to gather and worship, knowing that no government can silence the gospel.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
