Liberal Mayor Proposes to Increase Police Budget – Protesters Show Up

(ConservativeSense.com) – The Mayor of Seattle, Burce Harrell, received a surprise outside his house on Sunday afternoon when protesters showed up in response to his recent proposal to increase the city’s police department budget by $17 million next year.

Anti-police activists were outraged when Harrell announced last month a proposed budget that will give over $391 million to the Seattle Police Department, which is $17 million more than the budget for 2023. Instead, they want to see the police budget cut, which has been the general trend among political leftists since the death of George Floyd in May 2020. The rallying cry of the current protests is “Justice for Jaahnavi,” a 23-year-old student who died after she was hit by a police patrol car in January while trying to cross the street.

Last week, Harrell announced the budget proposal and addressed the scandal at the same time. He said that “safety” cannot exist “without accountability and community trust.” Harrell said the comments from angry citizens make him “incredibly sad” and “disappointed” and noted that he’s aware “recent events” have “fractured” public trust. Harrell was referencing the killing of Jaahnavi, describing the officers’ actions as disrespectful and dehumanizing to “our neighbors.”

Dozens of protesters gathered in a nearby park on Sunday, after which they marched to Harrell’s house, chanting the typical slogans of “say her name” and “no justice, no peace.” One speaker asked the crowd if there was any “better way to spend” a Sunday “than marching” to the mayor’s house to deliver Harnell “a birthday president.” His birthday is in a few weeks.

Seattle’s homicide count is already above the numbers in 2022, and there are still three months left in 2023. Car thefts, robberies, and violent crimes reached levels not seen in 15 years. The mayor is stuck between trying to please activists who believe defunding police departments will stop such incidents and rising crime rates that can only be reduced by funding departments.