By ROBERT LUTHER KING / Staff reporterA rally in Seattle has taken place in support of UFC champion Ronda Rousey.
Organizers said they are calling it a “day of action” for the UFC to pay the widow of a Seattle police officer.
The rally was scheduled for Tuesday night but was cancelled due to the weather.
The event was supposed to include a march to City Hall and rally at the Seattle Convention Center, but organizers said that was canceled due to concerns about traffic.
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said at a news conference Tuesday that the rally would be held at City Hall.
“This rally was not a response to the shooting, it was a response and celebration to the spirit of the march,” McGinn told reporters.
“I think there is a lot of pride in this community, there’s a lot that we can do together to heal the wounds and we can start moving forward as a community.”
The rally comes amid a growing backlash against the violence in Seattle, which has prompted the city to take steps to rein in its homeless population.
Seattle police have arrested nearly 4,000 people and are on track to spend $1.8 million in the coming year on programs that include services for homeless people, according to city data.
McGinn has promised to provide $250,000 in additional funds for homeless services, but the city has not released the amount.
McKinn has said he would not take a position on whether to pay for the widow’s medical bills if Rousey wins her first fight, which could happen on Feb. 2.
The UFC has not said whether it would pay for Rousey’s fight if she wins.
Rousey said in a statement Tuesday that she “absolutely” will fight for her rights.
“My hope is that I can prove to the world that we, as a nation, are finally making progress towards healing the wounds of the senseless violence that has plagued our city and city streets in the past year,” Rousey said.