Burien Veteran, 80, Says He Was Surrounded and Thrown to the Ground at ICE Protest

Editor's Note: The veteran interviewed for this story requested anonymity due to concerns about retaliation. The Highline Journal has verified his identity.

An 80-year-old military veteran says he was surrounded, shouted at, and thrown to the ground while expressing support for ICE during a demonstration Wednesday evening outside the Starbucks at Southwest 148th Street and Ambaum Boulevard Southwest in Burien.

The King County Sheriff's Office confirmed that deputies responded to the scene and documented an assault.

"I can confirm from the report that a man was assaulted, though the suspect took off and has not been identified at this time," said Brandyn Hull, Communications Manager for the King County Sheriff's Office.

Hull said deputies interviewed the victim and several witnesses. No arrests have been made, and the case remains under investigation.

An email provided to The Highline Journal shows Des Moines Indivisible promoted the June 10 demonstration, urging members to gather at the intersection of Southwest 148th Street and Ambaum Boulevard Southwest and hold signs reading "ICE Kidnapped Your Neighbor Here." Similar signs were visible at the event.

The veteran told The Highline Journal he attended carrying a small sign supporting ICE and exercising what he viewed as his First Amendment right to express a different opinion.

"After all, it's about love, not hate," he said.

According to the veteran, not every interaction at the protest was hostile. He said he spoke respectfully with another older man attending the demonstration. The conversation ended peacefully, and the two parted without altercation.

The veteran said the atmosphere changed when additional demonstrators arrived and he became the focus of verbal attacks, including from a woman using a loudspeaker.

Video reviewed by The Highline Journal shows a woman directing repeated verbal attacks toward the veteran through a loudspeaker, a man wearing a shirt reading "Anti-Fascism - No Kings in America" engaging him during the confrontation, and a woman striking the veteran from behind before he fell to the ground while shouting, "You're down! You are down!"

The veteran said he found himself surrounded by approximately 10 to 12 people before being forced to the ground. He said at least one person in the crowd shouted, "Just ignore him!" during the incident.

He also noted that after the confrontation, a woman returned a pair of sunglasses that had been knocked off during the scuffle.

"Not everyone there was unkind," he said.

The Highline Journal requested comment from Des Moines Indivisible regarding the incident and its promotion of the demonstration. No response had been received as of publication.

The veteran described the incident as a "cowardly attack" and said no one should face violence for expressing a political opinion.

"I have the same First Amendment rights as everyone else," he said.

Despite the confrontation, he said he does not regret attending.

"For evil to succeed, all that is necessary is for good men to do nothing," he said. He added that he hopes others will continue to participate in civic life, even when doing so is uncomfortable.

"Stand up," he said. "Do what's right."

The case remains under investigation.