My protest sign got confiscated in Seattle, but the real shock was who did it

I was at the Westlake Center march last Tuesday holding a sign about local zoning rules and a librarian from my own neighborhood grabbed it, saying it violated the city's new permit policy, and that made me realize the quiet censorship is coming from people I trusted, so now I'm asking how has anyone else handled being silenced by fellow community members?

2 comments

2 Comments

hannah_williams27d ago

That bit about "quiet censorship coming from people I trusted" really hit me. I read a piece last month about how permit rules are being used by local groups to shut down speech they don't like, and it's almost always someone who knows you. I'd say take photos of your sign before you go next time, and maybe check if the policy is actually enforced or just selectively. That way you have proof if it happens again.

the_dakota26d ago

Not sure I totally agree that it's always the people closest to you pulling the strings. Sometimes it's just lazy city staff enforcing a rule they've always had, not some coordinated effort to silence anyone.