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McIntosh Art Co. | Election Night 2020 (delayed) | CHAZ / CHOP Capitol Hill, Seattle, Washington

I took a quick trip to Capitol Hill on November 8th, 2020, when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were declared the winners in the 2020 Presidential Election of the United States of America. Many people have suffered the last four years in a system that feels oppressed, hopeless, fascist, anti-everything including environment, LGBTQ, women’s health rights, etc. These photos are grainy and imperfect but I hope you’ll feel how jubilant and elated folks were to celebrate this monumental victory. Dancing, fireworks, hugging, honking, screaming, music playing, etc. all dominated the streets in the CHAZ / CHOP area of Capitol Hill.

McIntosh Art Co. | Rally for Black Lives March & Protest | Magnuson Park to University Village, Seattle, Washington | June 6, 2020

With the Solid Ground housing in the background, thousands gathered at Magnuson Park for Rally for Black Lives to peacefully protest and march to the University Village. The former home of Charleena Lyles at Magnuson Park where she was shot five times by officers in front of her children while 14-15 weeks pregnant, served as a reminder to those that protested in 2017. Charges against the two officers involved were dismissed.

The protests in response to George Floyd’s murder (captured on video), began on March 26, 2020 and have stretched two weeks. During this peaceful protest in Northwest Seattle, many in the crowd were following the violent protest and police response Capitol Hill near the East Precinct.

Once the group arrived to University Village, they sang “Happy Birthday” to Breonna Taylor and kneeled on one knee for eight minutes and forty six seconds, the same amount of time in which the officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota used the knee-on-neck tactic on George Floyd, only to render him unconscious or dead on the scene. In the last few seconds of the silent protest, the leaders were told that the National Guard had surrounded the entire property of University Village and that all participants were to exit the property immediately.

Zero National Guard nor police were seen upon my exit from the property.

McIntosh Art Co. | Black Lives Matter Protests | Capitol Hill (CHOP / CHAZ), Seattle, Washington | June 2, 2020

I attended the Black Lives Matter Protest on Capitol Hill in Seattle, Washington near Cal Anderson Park on June 2, 2020. This protest was the 4th day of protesting in Seattle, despite a strict, city-wide curfew of 5pm. The protests are a reaction to the death of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, in addition to hundreds of years of systematic racism and police brutality in the United States. These protestHere are some images I captured.

* Please be sure to tag me if you repost these images, as they are my property. *

McIntosh Art Co. | Coronavirus / Covid19 Washington State Stay Home Order | Downtown Seattle, Washington | April, 2020

I had to go to downtown yesterday to pick something up and decided to take a bit of time to walk around the empty streets of Seattle. The sights I saw were semi-expected but also so sad. The homeless seem to be particularly struggling and I don’t know what the answers are for them. I just know that other countries and cities have figured out how to solve the problem with shelter insecurity. I’m hopeful one day, Seattle will as well.

One encouraging piece is that many artists have been busy painting beautiful murals on the plywood that many businesses are using to protect their windows. Most businesses seem to have been closed for the last 50+ days with at least four more weeks to go, according to our Governor Inslee. I know most people aren't even leaving their neighborhood so hopefully this allows you to witness what the streets near Pioneer Square, Belltown and Pike Place Market look like during this Covid-19 shutdown, without leaving your couch.