UPDATE:

We regret to inform our community that Punks in the Park, originally scheduled for Sunday, May 25, 2025, is being cancelled in light of a rapidly developing and dangerous situation unfolding around the event we aimed to counter-protest the previous day.

On Saturday, May 24, a rally is being organized in Seattle by MAYDAY USA, a right-wing, white Christian nationalist group. Their public calls to action are deeply inflammatory and have prompted widespread concern. Alarmingly, they are now drawing in support from other known hate groups in the region—including On Fire Ministries, a Spokane-based organization founded by former Washington State Legislator Matt Shea, who has been widely denounced for his extremist and violent rhetoric.

We have credible information that these groups are mobilizing aggressively, with participants expected to travel from across Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The online discourse around their event makes it clear that they are not coming peacefully. Counter-protesters are also organizing in large numbers. In this volatile climate, there is now chatter directly referencing our event, suggesting that some attendees from Saturday’s action may target Punks in the Park as a site for retaliation or escalation.

The security team we had organised for the event have pulled out.

Given the potential presence of armed actors and the high risk of conflict, we cannot, in good conscience, proceed as planned.
Let us be unequivocal: we are not canceling because we are afraid to take a stand—we are canceling because we refuse to endanger the very people we exist to protect. Our movement is about resistance, yes, but also about care, safety, and collective responsibility.

Punks in the Park was envisioned as a vibrant, joyful gathering—a celebration of community and defiance against hate. That vision remains alive. We are simply choosing to protect it by ensuring it happens on a day in the future when our people are not at risk.

We will continue to stand for our community, and find a safer day to take back Cal Anderson from hate and bigotry. In the meantime, please take care of yourselves and each other. Stay alert, stay organized, and never forget: community is our greatest strength.