Seattle police are asking the public for photos and video clips taken during this year’s May Day riot.
“Detectives have begun the long, difficult task of investigating the violence, vandalism, and other nastiness which marred this year’s otherwise peaceful May Day rallies,” police said.
Investigators hope the images and footage taken during the mayhem will help them identify those responsible for the violence seen during the anti-capitalism march.
Protesters threw rocks, metal pipes and water bottles at police and cars during the incident that left eight police officers with scrapes and bruises. They also smashed the windows of several Capitol Hill businesses, including Walgreens, Bill’s Off Broadway, and Sun Liquor.
Anarchists later set up an online fundraising campaign to help pay for the damages incurred by Bill’s and Sun Liquor as the damage they incurred were "not, in our view, a meaningful blow to the powers that be but rather an unfortunate piece of collateral damage," the campaign's website said.
They also posted a cautionary note online, urging those who took part in the violence not to boast on social media platforms as police may be patrolling those spaces for leads.
Police have alreadyarrested 17 protesters. Five have been charged with felonies, and six with misdemeanors.
The May Day violence capped a day of peaceful gatherings in Seattle and Olympia. In Seattle, thousands gathered at Judkins Park and marched to the federal building downtown in support of workers and comprehensive immigration reform. In Olympia, a peaceful march followed a family-friendly May Day celebration at Sylvester Park.
