Several charged in attack identified as anarchists by police

Several people arrested early Sunday after allegedly attacking two men downtown are affiliated with local anarchist groups, Olympia Police Lt. Jim Costa said Tuesday.

Six of those also were arrested during a protest of police brutality in downtown Olympia in 2010.

Two men told police they were attacked early Sunday morning when they came upon a group of people throwing garbage and street signs into the street and questioned why they were doing that.

“All we wanted them to do is respect where you live,” said Austin Wattenberg, 24, an Olympia resident who works two jobs, at the Thai Garden restaurant and at Community Resources, where he helps the disabled. “They got violent over it. That’s not even that crazy of a thing to ask from someone.”

Wattenberg said the people in the group told them to go away, and said “this doesn’t concern you” as they threw debris into the roadway at Fourth Avenue and Capitol Way about 2 a.m. Sunday.

Wattenberg said he responded, “You don’t understand, this is our town, this is where we grew up, this does concern us.”

Wattenberg said he and his friend, Joshua Penn, 25, took a bag of garbage and a sign that had been thrown into the road and placed the items off to the side where they would not be an obstruction.

That’s when Wattenberg and Penn say the group of about 20 people descended on them, threw them to the ground and punched and kicked them. Wattenberg said he was shocked by the sudden violence of the group.

Wattenberg said Penn suffered cuts and bruises on his knee and elbow during the attack.

Penn said members of the group identified themselves as anarchists.

Wattenberg and Penn used their cell phones to call Olympia police. Police arrived and arrested 10 people whom Wattenberg and Penn positively identified as being involved in the mayhem.

The 10 who were arrested were booked into the Olympia Municipal Jail and cited with misdemeanor disorderly conduct/riot, Costa said.

Penn said members of the group that attacked him were complaining about Olympia and the government.

“That’s your political statement, you’re going to knock down garbage cans and trash the town?” Penn said.

Read more: http://www.theolympian.com/2011/08/23/1770568/several-charged-in-attack-...

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