Protect Our Pitch 206 Encourages Neighborhoods to Discuss World Cup Impacts

View from S Jackson St. in CID

The Evergreen Echo

As the FIFA World Cup looms on the horizon, Seattleites are proactively bracing their communities and neighborhoods for impact. Organizations such as the CID Coalition, Stop the Sweeps, the Seattle Solidarity Budget, and more launched the Protect Our Pitch 206 Campaign, a collective movement aiming to intercept the harm that accompanies mega sporting events. 

This movement follows in the spirit of other global protests against mega sporting events, such as the Our Cup is On The Street marches in Brazil, the rallies condemning the Tokyo Olympics, and the forward-looking No Olympics LA. These massive protests shared many of the same condemnations: displacement of houseless peoples and local businesses in favor of tourists and FIFA’s big business sponsors, reallocation of taxpayer money to sports-related expenses instead of social services, and spikes of police brutality and surveillance. In an attempt to head off these issues, the Protect Our Pitch 206 campaign outlines a growing number of demands ranging from an increase in amenities such as public restrooms, mitigation efforts in anticipation of increased emissions and trash, city budget transparency, and a ban on deportations and suspension of all ICE activities within the proximity of the games.

None of these demands are new; organizations and individuals have been clamoring for these citywide changes for years now. Still, the upcoming FIFA games themselves mark a shift in the playing field. The stakes are higher; the city’s already existing problems will only worsen if the status quo continues. Most important is the heightened sense of urgency—the games act as a deadline for the city to meet years-old demands. By the time festivities begin, it will already be too late. Livelihoods will already have slipped through the cracks of Seattle’s frayed social safety net.

• Conservatism Might Help?

  Funnily enough, conservatism might actually provide a temporary respite from the pressure—Seattle may dodge the FIFA bullet entirely as Trump suggests he might relocate the games out of cities he deems “unsafe.” On the other hand, this indicates that Seattle is high on Trump’s list of “cities to send the national military to because of lawless radical leftists.” As usual, don’t expect any assistance from the federal government.

Seattle City Council has already begun their own preparations for the World Cup. The council controversially voted to install cameras in the neighborhoods likely to experience the most shock from the boom in tourism: downtown, Pioneer Square, and the International District. In doing so, representatives disregarded the will of their constituents, many of whom attended public comment to express their concerns around surveillance, privacy, law enforcement presence, and ICE kidnappings. Commenters disputed the claim that cameras will help create a safer city, as there is currently no adequate data or research correlating such increased surveillance with security.

There may still be hope for reform within city leadership. In the nail-biting November elections, Katie Wilson, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, and Dionne Foster won their respective races; their running platforms indicate that they may be more sympathetic to the Protect Our Pitch 206 than their opponents. In response to a debate question about outfitting the city for FIFA, Wilson stated quite frankly, “With respect, people are dying right now.” In another interview with Salalxey TV, however, Wilson adopted a milder tone, instead discussing tourist impact and city infrastructure to “update the look and feel of our city.” Promises on the campaign trail often diverge from reality once elected, and only time will tell if Wilson will be receptive to the Protect Our Pitch 206 demands. 

It is important to note that Protect Our Pitch 206 is unassociated with any party or representative. They intend to apply pressure onto the city regardless of its leadership. Rather, the movement aims to take a decentralized route. Primary in their campaign’s principles is its dedication towards utilizing and amplifying the already existing power of grassroots and autonomous organizing. They state, “No one needs the permission of Protect Our Pitch 206 to organize around or about FIFA.” Instead of insisting upon a monolithic strategy, the campaign and its allied organizations and individuals only offer one of many avenues for advocating for a better city. More anti-FIFA initiatives may appear that are unaffiliated with Protect Our Pitch 206. In explicitly stating this principle, POP206 encourages a robust and varied movement united in goals, but not necessarily united in strategy. This marks an interesting departure from other big leftist campaigns that are often more centralized in leadership and streamlined in tactics. 

When asked about their work, organizers associated with Protect Our Pitch 206 stated:

“There’s room for everyone in this movement. Whether you’re a sports fan or a resident in an impacted neighborhood (or both!), we invite you to carry forward, uplift, and advocate for whichever of the demands resonate with you. FIFA marks an opportunity for all of us to raise collective consciousness around how mega sports events tie to human rights violations, city spending on corporate interests, and lack of public infrastructure and support for our most vulnerable community members. We call on our city government to put the interests of the people over profit. While there are resources for small business support through nonprofits and BIAs (business impact analysis), who’s looking out for residents and workers as neighborhoods are flooded with fans? This movement is not meant to shame sports fans, but rather encourage locals to engage in their community. Love the game, fight the impact.”

Though seemingly small in the grand scheme of global issues, POP206 offers a way to fight, advocate for, and possibly witness tangible progressive change. The movement eschews intangible issues of representation and performative clauses for specific, actionable demands. Instead of inducing self-paralysis with the overwhelming weight of the federal government, the campaign directs our focus on the local: the issues that we can see and touch, the people and things that we physically interface with in our daily lives.

The campaign demands that Hing Hay Park be exempted from the event exclusion zone and remain open for public and residential use.

The Evergreen Echo

The movement itself is still in its early stages. The campaign, its demands, and its potential methodologies are subject to change alongside the landscape and political climate of the city. At this juncture, there is no information on upcoming mobilizations, large-scale rallies, or broad tactical ideas (such as boycotting specific businesses, signing petitions, or attending City Council meetings). As June 2026 creeps closer, POP206 will likely announce more public-facing calls to action. 

Still, the groundwork starts now; concerned residents should not wait until a last-minute rally to take action. This can look like educating yourself and your neighbors on the documented harm caused by mega sporting events—on November 22, the campaigners will hold a teach-in about FIFA, offering an opportunity for people to begin to organize around their concerns. For the artistically inclined, the campaign recently opened a call for art to inspire a visually dynamic campaign. Further, POP206 encourages residents to vocalize their own concerns and possibly formulate new demands. Their goal is that no community goes unheard.

The world is embroiled in a political and economic crisis, and without concerted action, it will only get worse. Will protecting one city against the impacts of FIFA end fascism? On its own, it is unlikely. But the construction of a better world needs to happen—it needs to begin somewhere. 

Why not begin in our own backyard?