On June 23, 2010, 23 protesters were arrested during a demonstration for immigration reform in downtown Seattle. What begun as a protest in front of the Federal Building organized by the Washington Immigration Reform Coalition (WIRC) escalated when over 200 people moved into the streets, blocking traffic for over 3 hours. "We demand immigration reform, and we feel it is such an issue of moral crisis, moral urgency that we are ready to risk arrest ourselves," said Pramila Jayapal, Executive Director of One America, an immigration rights group.After the demonstration ended, the most discussed point was whether blocking traffic, which left many drivers stuck for hours during one of Seattle's hottest days, helped or hurt the cause. Ken Schram from KOMO 4 News and the Michael Medved Show deemed the demonstration a bad tactic to win over people's support for immigration reform.
I opened a discussion on Facebook asking people about their thoughts on the recent use of civil disobedience in Seattle. Those in favor referred to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi's successful use of civil disobedience during their fights for justice, while the ones against thought the demonstration was simply a disaster because it alienated the public that we need to support the cause.