Michelle Esteban | Komo News | Mon, April 20, 2026
SEATTLE — A private fundraising event for a Jewish advocacy group in Seattle was disrupted Sunday evening when protesters gathered outside the venue, blocked entrances, and shouted at attendees, according to organizers and police.
StandWithUs Northwest Executive Director Randy Kessler said demonstrators yelled insults and profanity at people trying to enter the event.
Some attendees were called “baby killers” and “genocide supporters,” Kessler said, adding that he also heard chants “expressing support for Hamas.”
He described the protest as aggressive, coordinated, and, in his view, antisemitic.
Despite the disruption, Kessler said the program continued inside and was ultimately successful.
The gathering, held at Town Hall Seattle, featured former Miss Israel Noa Cochva as the keynote speaker. Cochva, a former Israel Defense Forces combat medic who served during the 2023 Gaza conflict, has become a public speaker and advocate on issues related to Israel and antisemetic.
Kessler characterized the demonstration as part of what he described as an “extreme anti-Zionist fringe,” and said it crossed from political expression into harassment and intimidation. He also said it felt like a targeted action against a Jewish organization.
KOMO News asked to speak with any attendee who was injured, but Kessler said no one was hurt.
The protest comes amid heightened tensions surrounding Israel and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has fueled demonstrations across the United States, including on college campuses. Kessler said Cochva is scheduled to be at Western Washington University on Monday as part of a campus outreach effort aimed at “engaging students in conversation.”
Kessler said the incident reflects a broader sense of vulnerability within the Jewish community and called for increased support and solidarity.
Seattle police said that at the height of the protest, there were approximately 75 protesters present, and three were arrested.
“Three arrests were made during the incident. Two male suspects, ages 21 and 33, were taken into custody for obstruction and disorderly conduct. Information on the third individual that was arrested for assault is not yet available,” an SPD spokesperson wrote in an email.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office clarified on Monday that two of the suspects were arrested for potential felony crimes, but were not formally charged.
The KCPAO said multiple prosecutors, including senior officials and a deputy specializing in hate crimes, reviewed the documents Monday. They determined that the information provided does not meet the legal threshold required to proceed in court.
The 24-year-old was arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault, a felony, and possible misdemeanor obstruction. Police allege the individual pushed an officer twice. However, prosecutors said the materials lack details about injuries — a key factor in determining whether an assault rises to a felony level. The documents also referenced a second alleged assault but provided no details about a victim or injuries.
Police indicated they do not plan to expedite the case for charging within the standard 72-hour window and did not object to the individual’s release, meaning the person must be released if charges are not filed within that timeframe.
The 21-year-old was arrested on suspicion of third-degree assault, obstruction, and pedestrian interference, both misdemeanors. Prosecutors similarly cited a lack of evidence regarding injuries. The report also mentioned the individual allegedly “throwing punches” at an older man, raising the possibility of malicious harassment, but prosecutors said no additional information was provided to support that allegation.
Malicious harassment can be charged as a gross misdemeanor under Seattle law when someone is targeted based on factors such as political ideology. It is also the former name of Washington state’s felony hate crime statute, though that statute does not include political ideology as a protected category.
A senior deputy prosecutor specializing in hate crimes reviewed the case and found insufficient evidence at this stage to support a felony hate crime charge.
The Office said that if investigations by Seattle police were ongoing, the cases could be referred for charging decisions at a later date within the statute of limitations, but the SPD said Monday afternoon that the department has not made a hate crime referral.
