Washington State

Seattle: Duwamish Tribe Takes On Stewardship Of Rematriated Land

August 18, 2026 Mackenzie Olivo, Next City. Create! Indigenous Rights, Land Back, Land Rights, Seattle, Washington State

A warm summer breeze carries the scent of wild flowers and fresh foliage from the surrounding forest through the clearing of Heron’s Nest (spaʔqʷaʔ č̓aʔac). This is the site of a successful community-led land effort returning 3.56 acres to the Duwamish Tribe, which lacks federal recognition. “To me, it seems like a huge piece of property because we are not federally recognized and do not have a reservation,” said Nancy Sackman, vice chair of the Duwamish Tribal Council and Duwamish tribal member. “So any land that we do get is a huge event.”

US Navy Announces Public Review Period For Nuclear-Powered, Nuclear-Armed Submarine Program

June 3, 2026 Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action, Popular Resistance. Educate! Nuclear submarine, Nuclear Weapons, Public Comments, Washington State

U.S. Navy announces a 30-day public review period for its approximately $60 billion nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed, Columbia-class submarine program. The submarines will be stationed at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor for about 50 years. The Columbia-class nuclear-powered ballistic missiles submarines (SSBN) are the planned replacement submarines for the Ohio-class SSBN submarines that first arrived at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in 1982. The twelve proposed Columbia-class submarines are expected to cost $126.4 billion according to the Navy’s FY 2025 budget submission. Half of the twelve new submarines are expected to be deployed at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, approximately 20 miles from Seattle.

Emergency Vigil And Picket For 11 Victims Of Longview Disaster

May 30, 2026 Ian Freeman and Gemini Gnull, Fight Back! News. Resist! Industrial Accident, Washington State, Worker Rights, Workplace Safety

Tacoma, WA – A dozen people gathered along the fence of U.S. Oil & Refining Co on Wednesday, May 27 in an emergency picket and vigil for the 11 people killed in the Longview paper mill disaster. Signs with statements like “Clean it up or shut it down,” “Justice for the Longview 11” and “System change not climate change” waved as attendees picketed the back gate. This emergency event was called by Climate Alliance of the South Sound (CASS) in response to one of the deadliest industrial accidents in Washington state history. On Tuesday, May 26, a paper mill chemical vat imploded, killing ten workers and wounding several more; at least one of whom has since died from their injuries.

Bellevue City Council Adopts Ordinance Criminalizing Protests

May 19, 2026 Fight Back! News. Educate! Criminalization, Free Speech, Israel, Right to Protest, Suppression, Washington State, Zionists

On Tuesday evening, May 2, the Bellevue City Council voted to adopt an ordinance making protests at U.S. Congressman Adam Smith’s house illegal. The ordinance changes the city’s definition of criminal conduct to include targeted residential protests. The ordinance states that any gathering of people “with four or more persons” in a protest that is “targeted, directed or focused at a particular occupant of the residence” would be a gross misdemeanor. “Protest means any protest, demonstration or picketing activity including but not limited to marching, congregating, standing, posting, parading, demonstrating, picketing, with our without signs, with or without making audible or amplified noise.”

BDS Victories: Washington State Divests From Caterpillar

April 6, 2026 Lois Pearlman, Mondoweiss. Resist! BDS, Caterpillar, Divestment, Israel, Washington State

Twenty-three years after Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by a Caterpillar bulldozer in Gaza, two divestment successes in her home state of Washington have brought her some measure of justice. Last month, the Office of the Washington State Treasurer divested its $62 million in Caterpillar bonds, and on March 24, the Olympia, Washington City Council voted unanimously to include a strongly worded statement in its ethical investment policy, which includes no investment in entities that engage in apartheid or illegal occupation.

Organizing Down The Supply Chain: Logistics Workers Win Contract

January 29, 2026 Zack Pattin, Labor Notes. Organize! Contracts, Supply Chain, Unions, Washington State, Worker Rights

One hundred and fifty workers at a vehicle processing center in Tacoma, Washington, won their first contract last year, in a huge step for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union organizing down the supply chain. Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics had opened the VPC across the street from a major terminal in the Port of Tacoma, where longshore workers are represented by ILWU Local 23. This “roll-on, roll-off” (ro-ro) terminal handles vehicles and other cargo that is driven on and off ships. Wallenius is the largest ro-ro carrier in the world, with 128 vessels.

Amid Federal Cuts, Momentum For Direct Cash Is Growing

January 9, 2026 Tracey Yeung and Leila Reynolds, Inequality.org. Create! Basic Income, Direct Cash, Poverty, Washington State

Over a quarter of Americans live paycheck to paycheck and have less than $1,000 in emergency savings. This means there’s no buffer when the car breaks down or an unexpected hospital bill hits. Congress’ cuts to SNAP and Medicaid will worsen this crisis for working families, as millions of people lose money to buy groceries and face higher health-care premiums and less coverage. In Washington state, advocates and community leaders have stepped up in recent years to enact direct cash programs to support people struggling to make ends meet.

Hundreds Unite To Shut Down Northwest Detention Center

September 4, 2025 Jonathan Staub, Fight Back! News. Resist! Detention Center, Immigrant Rights, Immigrant Solidarity, Washington, Washington State

Tacoma, WA – On September 1, the International Migrant’s Alliance – USA (IMA USA) and La Resistencia hosted a rally for solidarity with immigrants and to shut down the Northwest Detention Center. The All Out for Migrant Defense rally was attended by over 850 people. Many of the attendees traveled from Portland, Oregon as part of the closing event of the 2025 IMA USA and Tanggol Migrante Political Conference. This included a large caravan of over 50 cars and two school buses. The Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma has become the place for many organizations to unite to fight the United States’ immigration policy. Other organizations like International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) Seattle, Bayan Washington, and the Oregon Rising Coalition also attended.

Forest Protectors Launch Tree Sit And Lawsuits To Stop Ecocidal Logging

July 7, 2025 Curtis Johnson, Truthout. Resist! Forests, Logging, Tree Sitting, Washington State

Standing at the edge of the Aldwell Forest clearcut just above the Elwha River in Washington State, the Murphy Company’s devastation of the landscape slaps you in the face. Here on land owned by the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR), a beautiful mature forest has been logged for hardwood, plywood, and other wood products. Hacked-off stumps are visible in all directions, a few trees left to stand. The former forest floor, once rich with organisms and nutrients that fed life, now stands heaped into huge slash piles to be burned. The land doused with herbicide to kill any competitors to Douglas fir seedlings that will become a new tree plantation monoculture.

Labor Defends Jailed Immigrants: Forklift Driver, Hospital Worker

May 31, 2025 Alexandra Bradbury, Labor Notes. Resist! Detention Center, ICE, Immigrant Rights, Labor Movement, Unions, Washington State

The Seattle-area labor movement is rallying in defense of immigrant members seized by the Trump regime. Forklift driver Maximo Londonio and his family were on their way home from vacation in the Philippines—where he and his wife had celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary—when he was pulled aside at the airport, held there for days, then taken to a for-profit jail. Londonio has a green card; he moved here from the Philippines when he was just a kid. His wife is a U.S. citizen; they have three daughters. And he’s a Machinist. “Quite a lot of people in the shop are upset,” said Local Lodge 695 President Richard Howard.

Unions Rise For Immigrant Rights At Tacoma ICE Detention Center

May 29, 2025 Aife Pasquale, Fight Back! News. Resist! Detention Center, ICE, Immigrant Rights, Tacoma, Unions, Washington State

Tacoma, WA – On May 23, labor unions and Filipino community groups rallied with a unified message: “Free them all and shut it down!” As the Trump administration continues escalating attacks against immigrant communities, the working class is drawing closer together to defend itself and fight back. The coalition is demanding the immediate release of a Filipino union member known lovingly as “Kuya Max.” Maximo Londonio immigrated to the U.S. as a 12-year-old boy and is now 42. He was detained at the Sea-Tac airport on his way back home to Olympia from a family trip to the Philippines.

Anti-War Organizers Shut Down US Representative’s Recruitment Event

May 24, 2025 Joseph Ostheller, Fight Back! News. Resist! Counter-recruitment, Palestine, Veterans for Peace, Washington State

Tukwila, WA – On Wednesday, May 21, protesters rallied to Foster High School to disrupt a military academy ceremony. Congressional Representative Adam Smith was the host for the event. He was slated to personally hand out these endorsements to prospective military academy cadets, but, not for the first time, Smith failed to attend his own event, giving no notice to attendees. He had staffers play a video instead. Organizers from Seattle Against War (SAW) teamed up with Veterans for Peace to infiltrate this event and make sure the real consequences of war were told. After a short video of Adam Smith, SAW members interrupted a speech by a West Point military officer with chanting and disruption.

Pro-Palestine Student Activists Occupy University Of Washington

May 6, 2025 Students United for Palestinian Equality and Return UW, Popular Resistance. Resist! Boeing, Campus Movement, Palestine, Student Activism, Washington State

We are taking this building amidst the current and renewed wave of the student Intifada, following the uprising of student action for Palestine after the heroic victory of Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7th, which shattered the illusion of zionist-imperialist domination and brought Palestine to the forefront for all justice-loving people of the world. We respond to the call made by the Palestinian student movement in Gaza to “raise the pace and ceiling of your struggle and your honorable stances, quantitatively and qualitatively, against the institutions, corporations, and governments that participate in the slaughter of our children, our students, and our people.