Seattle, WA – Activists have strongly condemned the alleged physical assault on former Seattle City Councilmember and socialist leader Kshama Sawant by officials at the Indian Consulate. The incident occurred after Sawant, along with fellow activists from Workers Strike Back, engaged in a peaceful protest against the repeated denial of her visa to travel to India. Sawant has been denied a visa three times, including an emergency visa request, despite her 82-year-old mother being critically ill.
The Indian Consulate in Seattle informed Sawant that she is on “the reject list” but did not provide a reason for her repeated visa denials. Meanwhile, her husband, Calvin Priest, was granted a visa, indicating that the urgency of the case was not in question. Activists allege that this constitutes political retaliation by the Modi-led BJP government due to Sawant’s vocal opposition to its policies, including the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and her advocacy for caste discrimination bans in the U.S.
During their peaceful demonstration at the Indian Consulate, Sawant and her fellow activists were allegedly subjected to intimidation, threats, and physical assault by consular staff. According to reports, the most serious altercation occurred when the activists attempted to exit the premises. Consulate staff allegedly blocked the door, physically confronted them, and attempted to confiscate a phone recording the incident. Even police officers present at the scene reportedly objected to the actions of the consular staff.
