I have mixed feelings on this.
personally, i will NEVER advise ANYBODY to protest blocking a road without a permit and even then NEVER stand in the middle of the group/middle of the road. This was what i said to many people when Charlottesville VA came up.
If they had walked on to the hwy while it was open, like they have done, absolutely. If somebody drives slowly through them, absolutely have at it.
The CITY DOT runs passive blockades for this as-if it were permitted, but not fully, and it never was. In that sense, the city certainly must share some piece in the responsibility puzzle. 100% lands on the driver for the assault, he was going quick, seemed to accelerate around the sideways car, seemed to aim FOR people rather than avoid.
the city, however, has half handed shown support for this stuff. they would have been better off not supporting it. this needs to be an example added to the list of failures of Seattle in their handling of this. i don't know what is appropriate, but the city leadership has failed the city people incredibly over the last month. incredibly.
now, i'm certain that the message will get bungled, but this is where the trump early comment of "you've got to support law and be stern" and "i support protesters within the law" or whatever those quotes were, are being borne out very correct and very less damaging to actual human life.
can that message get across? I sure as hell hope so. WA would be significantly better off by turning away from this progressive agenda of the last 10-15 years where it has really ramped up. I'm concerned they are going to try to vote to go harder communist though rather than harder liberty.