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SATURDAY AT 1:30 PM – 4 PM Sept 5th 2020
Love America & Law Enforcement Rally
Bellingham is home to several organizations asking for defunding of our police:
“This Friday, September 4th at 6:00pm, gather with us for a People’s Budget Assembly! Gather at 1101 Harris Avenue and march to the mayor’s house.”
Here is an article from a facebook post describing the coalition in Whatcom County that appears on the Alternative Library’s facebook page here. Defund Bellingham Police is the main goal and they have been active since June. A partial list of coalition members and links are listed at the bottom of this post.
Whatcom Democratic Socialist of America plan protest at Mayor Fleetwood’s house to Defund Police. County Executive Sidhu and City Councilman Knutson both do not want the organization’s protest to occur at the Mayor’s home. Here are their pleas to the organization.
County Executive and City councilman Ask “Whatcom DSA”(Democratic Socialist of America). 
Executive Satpal Sidhu sent the following plea to the Whatcom DSA in an effort to stop the protests scheduled for Friday Sept 4th starting at 6:00PM.
From: Satpal Sidhu <SSidhu@co.whatcom.wa.us>
Sent: Thursday, September 3, 2020 12:47 PM
To: whatcomdsa@gmail.com
Cc: Fleetwood, Seth M. <smfleetwood@cob.org>; Council <Council@co.whatcom.wa.us>; CC – Shared Department <cc@cob.org>; Dana Brown-Davis <DBrown@co.whatcom.wa.us>; Tyler Schroeder <tschroed@co.whatcom.wa.us>; Heinrich, Brian M. <bmheinrich@cob.org>
Subject: Planned Protest at Mayor Fleetwood’s Home
Dear Members of Whatcom DSA
As I understand, your group is organizing a protest march this Friday to the home of Mayor Seth Fleetwood. I fully agree and respect your first amendment rights and your desire to express your views of satisfaction or dis-satisfaction with your governments / civic leaders at all levels. However, this in an unprecedent and redundant tactics, because Mayor Fleetwood is and has been very accessible to residents of Bellingham. There are proper and civil ways to express your grievances or opinions about your civic leaders. Such a move to go to his home is unwarranted. I don’t think Mayor has ever refused to meet with your group in a formal manner. I just wanted to share my feeling with you on this march.
Thanks!
Satpal Sidhu
Bellingham City Councilman Gene Knutson concurred writing the following to the Whatcom Socialist.
“From: “Knutson, Gene R.” <gknutson@cob.org>
Date: September 3, 2020 at 3:22:38 PM PDT
To: “whatcomdsa@gmail.com” <whatcomdsa@gmail.com>
Cc: CC – Shared Department <cc@cob.org>, “SSidu@co.whatcom.wa.us” <SSidu@co.whatcom.wa.us>, “Fleetwood, Seth M.” <smfleetwood@cob.org>, Council <Council@co.whatcom.wa.us>
Subject: Planned Protest at Mayor Fleetwood’s Home
Councilman Knutson
Dear DSA, I totally agree with Executive Sidu’s comments. Mayor Seth is doing a great job, he does not deserve this at all. Yes we are public officials, but our homes and neighbors homes are off limits. Please reconsider this action, this will set a horrible example. We all are trying to address your issues. We have held listening sessions, started working on a lot of these issues in our committees and much more. Please think about this no Mayor in our history has started out with as much as he has on his plate and he keeps moving forward. I have known Seth for twenty years he loves this city and is working with us all. Please hold a forum and invite him. We already are getting e-mails from people who are scared and upset about this.
Sincerely,
Gene Knutson Bellingham City Council”
The Whatcom County Defund the police coalition organization
- Whatcom County Democratic Socialist of America
- Alternative Library. Facebook
- Ink- Imagine No Kages
- Stand Speak Listen. Facebook
- SURJ Whatcom (Showing Up Racial Justice) Facebook
- Socialist Alternative Bellingham & Whatcom Facebook
- Sunrise Bellingham Facebook
- Whatcom Human Rights Task Force
- Whatcom-Skagit General Defense Committee. Facebook
- Whatcom Peace and Justice
Mostly 501C3 Nonprofit organizations, many without a local web page but facebook presence.
[…] You may remember that the Socialist were the subject of a Fourth Corner article here as they held a “protest” in the yard of the Bellingham Mayor. Mayor Seth Fleetwood’s home faces planned protest on Sep 4th by Whatcom Socialist and Others&#… […]
Late to the party, it is now September 12th.however I am dismayed to find out about the presence of a group, DSA, actively working against our excellent Bellingham and Whatcom County law enforcement officers. This tyranny needs to be stamped out PDQ. It is very telling that Ms Leister felt compelled to express herself with an f word, which automatically ruins her credibility. As usual the socialist lays complaint against people he or she hates for the very symptoms they themselves are displaying, it is called projectionism.
Wholeheartedly agree with Angela! Karen Carr
Thanks for the Comment
To march on Seth’s home is a massive waste of energy and shows lack of understanding and the absence of using research for clarity and purpose.
Seth is one of the most thoughtful and caring people I know. And he is really fucking smart. He is also humble, something the activist community needs to strive for.
Besides, the CHOKEHOLDER in CHIEF is the Trump Administration. The rapid spread of fascism and manipulation of truth and reality, a trademark for fascists, is growing bolder and stronger by the day. Trump’s private police force is answerable only to Trump, where there will be no opportunity for regulating and defunding this private police force??!! No chance in hell!
A massive, unified movement to remove this fascist group, using people’s assemblies to develop well researched strategies for this, is of the utmost importance to have any chance at all to defeat fascism.
If you haven’t heard of the Poorpeoplescampaign, please check them out! I believe they are the only shot in hell that we have in preventing a fascist takeover. Do not play into the hands of this Trump administration!. Organize a massive movement that is marked by love and humility.
Ah, you leftists! Tell me how Trump is a fascist. Has he shut down media outlets using the force of the federal government? Has he rounded up opponents and put them in concentration camps? Has he lined up opponents against a wall and executed them? Tell me, specifically, what acts of fascism he has committed? I’m very interested to hear.You folks say he is a liar and racist. Please give me specific facts (and not from leftwing websites or mainstream media). You folks represent unfreedom and repression. The Republicans represent freedom. You people are the true fascists. You wish to shut down free speech (look at universities disallowing conservative speakers). You radicals wish to strip us of our 2nd Amendment rights as well (look up Eric Swalwell, Beto O’Rourke, and Joe Biden on this subject). You folks represent unfreedom and repression. The Republicans represent freedom. Look at the respective party platforms on the 2nd Amendment. In the 2016 platforms (I haven’t yet searched the 2020 platforms), the Democrats said something to the effect of “We believe in the 2nd Amendment but . . . . ” The Republicans said, “We believe in the 2nd Amendment.” No ifs or buts. So, tell me, which is freedom-oriented, and which attitude represents a path toward tyranny and true fascism?
Thanks for the well reasoned comment Fredrick
Perfect reply Fredrick. TRUMP 2020!
Thank you for your newsletter. I am absolutely astounded that we actually have groups in Bellingham who are trying to defund our police force. My solution to that would be to get the names of every one of these unintelligent people. When there is a domestic dispute or some other situation the police would normally handle, start at the top of the list and call up these brilliant people and send them along with the responding officer, no matter the time of day or night. This way they can see firsthand what our police have to risk each and every day. What are they thinking? Who do they think is going to respond when there is a police matter that needs to be responded to? What scary times we live in, it seems like the brainless are taking over!
Thanks for your comments I hope all of us get some education about our community out of the article. I sure did.