OLYMPIA – Several people arrested early Sunday after allegedly attacking two men downtown are affiliated with local anarchist groups, Olympia Police Lt. Jim Costa said Tuesday.
Six of them also were arrested during a protest of police brutality in downtown Olympia in 2010.
In Sunday’s early morning incident, two men told police they were attacked when they came upon a group of people throwing garbage and street signs into the street and questioned why they were doing that.
“All we wanted them to do is respect where you live,” said Austin Wattenberg, 24, an Olympia resident who works two jobs, at the Thai Garden restaurant and at Community Resources, where he helps the disabled.
“They got violent over it. That’s not even that crazy of a thing to ask from someone.”
Wattenberg said the people in the group told them to go away, and said “this doesn’t concern you” as they threw debris into the roadway at Fourth Avenue and Capitol Way about 2 a.m. Sunday.
Wattenberg said he responded, “You don’t understand. This is our town. This is where we grew up. This does concern us.”
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