PORT TOWNSEND — A rally in Port Townsend today is expected to bring hundreds of people to the city, and the Port Townsend Police Department has requested the aid of the Washington State Patrol to help manage the crowd.
“The WSP will be assisting us with a (Rapid Deployment Force),” said Chief Thomas Olson. “We also have a least four other agencies that will be assisting us as well.”
The rally is scheduled for 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. today at Pope Marine Park in Port Townsend.
About 20 to 25 troopers will be present Saturday, according to Trooper Katherine Weatherwax, WSP spokesperson for the Olympic Peninsula. Weatherwax said the Rapid Deployment Forces (RDF) officers would likely remain at a staging area near the rally, and will be called only in a worst-case scenario.
The name on the permit is that of Robert Zerfing, founder of Common Sense Conservative — who lives in Portland, Ore., according to his LinkedIn profile. Posters calling for the protest refer to men in women’s locker rooms; they do not mention transgender people.
On July 26, Julie Jaman, 80, confronted a transgender YMCA employee who was escorting girls in the locker room. She said she had heard a man’s voice and then asked the transgender woman about her genitals.
Jaman was permanently banned from the YMCA, which operates the city-owned Mountain View pool, after the confrontation.
The incident has drawn national attention and an Aug. 15, rally, conducted while the Port Townsend City Council approved a proclamation welcoming transgender people, saw scuffles between protest groups.
A group of mainly older women there to oppose the policy of allowing transgender people to use the locker rooms and bathrooms of their choices, were overwhelmed by a much larger group of pro-trans demonstrators, some of whom got into physical altercations with the other group.
One person was arrested that day, and Port Townsend police, who have faced criticism for their handling of the rally, say they’re pursuing other assault charges.
Jaman told the PDN on Friday that she had no affiliation with the organizers of Saturday’s rally.
“I have not been part of any of these rallies,” she said. “I have nothing to do with these others and I don’t support them. People are just exploiting my situation for their own political reasons.”
She criticized the Port Townsend City Council for approving a proclamation that said Port Townsend is a welcoming place for transgender people, as well as all people.
” It’s very unfortunate the council is not stepping up for all the people in this town,” Jaman said. “There’s a very large part of this community that does not appreciate how the council is proceeding with this, a real failure of leadership.”
Jaman has made appearances on national television, including Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Tonight, to criticize the city’s policy and response to the protest.
Though she distanced herself from Saturday’s rally, Jaman said she’s received support from groups across the political spectrum.
“The people that contact me, I believe speak from their hearts,” Jaman said. “They’re supportive of a value that has thousands of years in the making, that women and children have privacy.”
Zerfing did not respond to request for comment, but the Common Sense Conservative Facebook post for the Sept. 3 rally says the purpose is to support the rights of women.
“Women have fought for hundreds of years to get the rights they now enjoy,” the post says. “Men are trying to take away any and all privilege that is a result of that fight.”
The rally is also being heavily advertised on the Washington State Patriot Response Facebook page.
“You can do your research on the groups that are involved,” Olson said. The nature of the topic are all reasoning for us to handle this in the manner that we are.”
Olson said when he spoke to Zerfing he did not request any police protection.
“We don’t have a solid number (how many people); we have a very rough estimate,” Olson said. “We estimate about 50-100 in the rally part of it, the people with the permit based on info he’s provided to me. We do not have any information on any groups or any advertisements out there for any counter-protests. We estimate that counter-protesters could be up to 50-100 as well.”
Rapid Deployment Forces provide hazard response for civil disturbances, demonstrations, crowd control, critical infrastructure protection, and other situations to restore law and order as well as to protect life and property, according to the WSP website.
________
Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at psegall@soundpublishing.com.
Terry Ward, publisher of the Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum, serves on the Olympic Peninsula YMCA board of directors.
