I suspect a lot of you will be protesting this weekend. For many of you, this might be your first protest, or your first protest in years. You need to be aware that Seattle Police have become more savvy, more violent, and less accountable than they were even a few years ago.

We have seen Seattle Police escalate violence, abuse elders, use bikes as weapons, falsely accuse protesters of bringing weapons, pepper-spray crowds that include children in strollers, herd protests into tight spaces before assaulting them. This will happen again this weekend.

So many of these instances have been caught on film, many have gone viral around the world, yet very few have resulted in any disciplinary action, or changes in policy or training. Our mayor and chief of police have set the tone. All of this is accepted and encouraged by them.

With that in mind, know what you're getting into this weekend. Don't bring children to these actions. Keep your face covered at all times. Stay together in groups. If you are white, you need to put your body between police and POC, and should not escalate violence.

Under the best of circumstances, this police department has acted in bad faith at every recent protest. Officers have openly instigated conflict, have cheered on abuse via social media, and they have just elected a new union president who glorifies abuse against protesters.

Given what we are seeing happen in cities across the country, we can expect Seattle Police to be more violent, more anxious, and to be given more leeway by their superior officers to violently abuse anyone at or near any protests this weekend. Stay safe. Protect each other.