Juan (street protester)
Encyclopedia
Juan, also known as Pedro, is a street protester
operating in Seattle, Washington, United States
. He is known for yelling the same statements at the same location for over twenty years.
says his name is "Juan".
The Stranger
says his name is "Pedro", although their newcomers' guide to Seattle refers to him simply as "the Frye Apartments Guy".
Juan is a Cuban refugee
. News accounts place his age at 57 in 2001, and 60 in 2004. The protestor says he is not homeless; the public does not know where he lives and he occasionally appears at the Municipal building shelter. He is not on the streets to beg
or busk
and will usually turn down offers of money. He will also not accept food (because the police could have poisoned it).
He is so well known that journalists write of him in passing, assuming the readers know what they are talking about. Other people have even made products available; such as a drink coaster
available from SeattleNotables.com, and on occasion vendors selling t-shirts to tourists include his picture.
entrance or the flagship Nordstrom
, though occasionally he is a few blocks away at Westlake Plaza
or the Macy's
. His sign has changed a few times but always has two main antagonists: the Seattle Police Department
and the Frye Apartments (a local subsidized housing unit for the poor and mentally ill). Frye and the SPD are always "devil communists". Other people named on the sign will include Ron Sims
, Fidel Castro
, the Vietcong, the Pope
and Catholics, atheists, Mexican immigrants
, and all citizens of Seattle. His sign often contains references to Jesus Christ and scripture. It also says "I am the Son of God" but it is unclear whether that phrase refers to Juan, or to Jesus Christ.
Juan's ranting is unintelligible to most English speakers, owing to his hard accent and that he is hoarse from screaming for so long. Juan usually does not explain what he is going on about. When asked about it he will usually dismiss the person who asked, not as if the person already knows, but as if the person is part of his persecution. The protester blames everyone in Seattle for his situation, claiming that Fidel Castro paid the Seattle Police to circulate a petition that was signed by everyone in Seattle to evict him from the Frye Apartments and that everyone in the city should be tried by the United Nations
. He says that he is afraid of the Seattle Police, who he says will assassinate him in his sleep.
Juan's anger can be traced back to his residency at the Frye Apartments, a transitional housing facility on Yesler Avenue. The Frye Apartments mission is to house the perpetually homeless and facilitate their staying housed through various activities, including training. Part of this training includes a small percentage of the resident's compensation which must be paid as rent, teaching responsibility, typically $25.00 or less. Non-payment of this pittance or unwanted physical contact are essentially the only ways that a person can be evicted from the Frye. In Juan's case it was the refusal to pay rent for the proscribed amount of months, which led to an eviction. Juan is also under the impression that the responsible party for his ouster was the Seattle Police, when in fact it was the King County Marshals which forcibly evicted Juan out of his apartment.
Street protester
Street protesting is a form of individual public demonstration, more prevalent in larger cities.Characteristically, street protesters work alone, gravitating towards areas of high foot traffic, and employing handmade placards such as sandwich boards or picket signs in order to maximize exposure and...
operating in Seattle, Washington, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He is known for yelling the same statements at the same location for over twenty years.
Identity and popularity
The Seattle WeeklySeattle Weekly
Seattle Weekly is a freely distributed newspaper in Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded by Darrell Oldham and David Brewster as The Weekly...
says his name is "Juan".
The Stranger
The Stranger (newspaper)
The Stranger is an alternative weekly newspaper in Seattle, Washington, USA. It runs a blog known as Slog.-History:The Stranger was founded by Tim Keck, who had previously co-founded the satirical newspaper The Onion, and cartoonist James Sturm. Its first issue came out on September 23, 1991...
says his name is "Pedro", although their newcomers' guide to Seattle refers to him simply as "the Frye Apartments Guy".
Juan is a Cuban refugee
Cuban exile
The term "Cuban exile" refers to the many Cubans who have sought alternative political or economic conditions outside the island, dating back to the Ten Years' War and the struggle for Cuban independence during the 19th century...
. News accounts place his age at 57 in 2001, and 60 in 2004. The protestor says he is not homeless; the public does not know where he lives and he occasionally appears at the Municipal building shelter. He is not on the streets to beg
Begging
Begging is to entreat earnestly, implore, or supplicate. It often occurs for the purpose of securing a material benefit, generally for a gift, donation or charitable donation...
or busk
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
and will usually turn down offers of money. He will also not accept food (because the police could have poisoned it).
He is so well known that journalists write of him in passing, assuming the readers know what they are talking about. Other people have even made products available; such as a drink coaster
Beermat
A coaster, drink coaster, beverage coaster, or beermat, is used to rest beverages upon. The main purpose is to protect the surface of a table or any other surface where the user might place their beverage....
available from SeattleNotables.com, and on occasion vendors selling t-shirts to tourists include his picture.
Concerns
Juan screams his rant and holds his sign daily in downtown Seattle, generally around 6th Avenue and Pine Street. He is often in front of the Pacific PlacePacific Place
Pacific Place is a complex of office towers, hotels and a shopping centre situated at 88 Queensway, in Admiralty, Hong Kong. The latest phase, Three Pacific Place, is located at 1 Queen's Road East....
entrance or the flagship Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
, though occasionally he is a few blocks away at Westlake Plaza
Westlake Center
Westlake Center is a four-story shopping center and twenty-five story office tower in Downtown Seattle, Washington, USA. The southern terminus of the Seattle Center Monorail, it is located across Pine Street from Westlake Park, between 4th and 5th Avenues. It is named for Westlake Avenue, which now...
or the Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
. His sign has changed a few times but always has two main antagonists: the Seattle Police Department
Seattle Police Department
The Seattle Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency of the city of Seattle, Washington, except for the campus of the University of Washington, for which responsibility falls to the University of Washington Police Department...
and the Frye Apartments (a local subsidized housing unit for the poor and mentally ill). Frye and the SPD are always "devil communists". Other people named on the sign will include Ron Sims
Ron Sims
Ronald Cordell Sims, , is currently the Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, having been confirmed by the Senate on May 6, 2009 and sworn in on May 8. He is also the former King County Executive...
, Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
, the Vietcong, the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and Catholics, atheists, Mexican immigrants
Illegal immigration to the United States
An illegal immigrant in the United States is an alien who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa....
, and all citizens of Seattle. His sign often contains references to Jesus Christ and scripture. It also says "I am the Son of God" but it is unclear whether that phrase refers to Juan, or to Jesus Christ.
Juan's ranting is unintelligible to most English speakers, owing to his hard accent and that he is hoarse from screaming for so long. Juan usually does not explain what he is going on about. When asked about it he will usually dismiss the person who asked, not as if the person already knows, but as if the person is part of his persecution. The protester blames everyone in Seattle for his situation, claiming that Fidel Castro paid the Seattle Police to circulate a petition that was signed by everyone in Seattle to evict him from the Frye Apartments and that everyone in the city should be tried by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. He says that he is afraid of the Seattle Police, who he says will assassinate him in his sleep.
Juan's anger can be traced back to his residency at the Frye Apartments, a transitional housing facility on Yesler Avenue. The Frye Apartments mission is to house the perpetually homeless and facilitate their staying housed through various activities, including training. Part of this training includes a small percentage of the resident's compensation which must be paid as rent, teaching responsibility, typically $25.00 or less. Non-payment of this pittance or unwanted physical contact are essentially the only ways that a person can be evicted from the Frye. In Juan's case it was the refusal to pay rent for the proscribed amount of months, which led to an eviction. Juan is also under the impression that the responsible party for his ouster was the Seattle Police, when in fact it was the King County Marshals which forcibly evicted Juan out of his apartment.