Washington state community leaders denounce Trump ahead of planned rallies

Gov. Jay Inslee speaks with Janice Tufte, of the Islamic Civic Engagement Project and Muslims Vote, after a press conference. (Photo by Venice Buhain.)

Gov. Jay Inslee, Congressman Adam Smith and other community leaders gathered at El Centro de la Raza Friday to denounce presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump, one day before Trump’s planned rallies in Lynden and Spokane.

Inslee and Smith joined Varisha Khan, student at the University of Washington (and former intern at the Seattle Globalist); Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director of Moms Rising; Estela Ortega, executive director of El Centro de la Raza and David Rolf, pesident of SEIU 775.

The speakers took turns at a podium in front of posters saying “Love Trumps Hate in Washington,” criticizing Trump’s proposed ban on Muslims, his plan to build a wall between the United States and Mexico and statements about women.

Khan said that Trump’s rhetoric has emboldened people to increase hate speech, especially Muslims.

“Hate speech leads to hate crimes,” Khan said.

Though Inslee said he couldn’t wait to welcome the next “Democratic president,” no at Friday’s event mentioned either candidate — Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton — in the Democratic race.

The anti-Trump campaign is beyond any particular candidate, said Fernando Mejia, event coordinator and organizing director for OneAmerica Votes.

“It’s more about what he’s pushing,” Mejia said. “We have to take action that will transcend hate.”

Trump has rallies planned at noon in Spokane and 3 p.m. in Lynden at the Northwest Washington Fair and Event Center. The Whatcom County Young Democrats are organizing a peaceful protest of the Lynden rally.

Sen. Doug Erickson, director of Trump’s campaign in Washington, told KUOW that King County declined to give the campaign permits to conduct the event at Boeing Field. A King County spokesman told the radio station that Trump’s campaign never submitted a plan to address safety and parking for thousands of people.