Three anti-Israel protesters were arrested Monday evening for trespassing after disrupting a town hall hosted by Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) at Renton Technical College. The protesters, reportedly aligned with the far-left activist group Workers Strike Back, stormed the stage during the event and refused to leave, prompting police intervention and arrest.
The incident quickly turned political, as the protesters were also supporters of Smith’s far-left opponent, former Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant, a self-described Marxist who is now challenging Smith for his congressional seat. Sawant later held a press conference outside the SCORE jail in Des Moines, where the protesters were detained.
According to Renton Police, nine protesters initially disrupted the town hall by storming the stage and chanting slogans. Most eventually left the area when asked, but three returned and refused to comply with police orders. The three were arrested for trespassing and booked into the South Correctional Entity jail.
In a statement following the event, Congressman Smith denounced the disruption and confirmed that one of his staff members was physically assaulted during the chaos:
“Today’s town hall was intentionally disrupted to attempt to silence a democratic conversation between a Representative and his constituents. This behavior is unacceptable. One of my staff members was physically assaulted during the chaos – an act that crosses every line of civil discourse.”
Today’s town hall was intentionally disrupted to attempt to silence a democratic conversation between a Representative and his constituents. This behavior is unacceptable. One of my staff members was physically assaulted during the chaos – an act that crosses every line of civil…
— Rep. Adam Smith (@RepAdamSmith) August 5, 2025
Smith emphasized his support for peaceful protest but condemned what he described as coordinated attempts to shut down public dialogue.
Sawant’s Press Conference Derails… Thanks to Airplanes
Sawant’s post-arrest press conference outside the jail became an unintended spectacle, because it was held directly in the flight path of planes approaching Sea-Tac Airport. Her remarks were repeatedly drowned out by the roar of jet engines, causing awkward pauses and repeated restarts as planes flew overhead.
The surreal nature of the press event became the focus of commentary on The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI. Hoffman skewered the event organized by “everybody’s least favorite communist Marxist.”
Sawant’s presser outside a jail detaining her supporters who disrupted Rep Adam Smith's town hall became an unintended spectacle because it was located in Sea-Tac's flight path.
Her remarks were repeatedly drowned out by jet engines, causing awkward pauses & repeated restarts pic.twitter.com/yCqZsoaN73
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) August 6, 2025
“Kshama Sawant shows up with her merry band of idiots to disrupt [the town hall],” Hoffman said. “Now this is where the stories diverge… According to her, they were peacefully protesting. According to Adam Smith, one of his staff members got assaulted.”
Hoffman suggested that Sawant’s involvement in the protest, and the jail-side press conference is part of a larger effort to stay politically relevant after leaving the Seattle City Council and get attention for her failing congressional campaign which has failed to gain any traction.
“Kshama Sawant is trying to be relevant by making noise. Nobody is talking about her. Adam Smith is everywhere doing town halls… Whether you like the guy or whether you hate the guy, he shows up. He doesn’t hide.”
The show also lampooned the protesters’ chanting of “Adam Smith, you can’t hide, you are funding genocide,” calling it a “really dumb chant” and criticizing what Hoffman described as Sawant’s increasingly isolated place even within the progressive movement.
“She doesn’t get to sit at the cool kids’ table anymore… Even the socialist poster child Zoran Mamdani is more palatable. At least he says his horrible ideas politely. Sawant is shrill and obnoxious.”
Sawant used the press conference to accuse Smith of aiding “genocide” in Gaza and called for the end of US military aid to Israel. She also used the opportunity to push broader progressive policies like free healthcare, taxing the rich, and national rent control.
Arrests and Aftermath
As of Tuesday, it’s unclear whether the arrested protesters will face formal charges. Renton Police confirmed the trespassing arrests but did not release additional details about the reported assault on Smith’s staff member.
Sawant, meanwhile, pledged solidarity with those detained, declaring during her press conference, “If that is a crime, then I am a criminal too.” Hoffman responded on his show with a tongue-in-cheek call: “Lock her up.”
The chaotic event highlighted the growing tensions between establishment Democrats like Rep. Smith and far-left challengers pushing aggressive anti-Israel narratives and protest tactics. It also set the tone for what may be one of Washington state’s most ideologically charged congressional races in 2025.
