BREAKING: Seattle Police dismantle violent CHAZ district pic.twitter.com/B0Ope33RXQ
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) July 1, 2020
The city government of Seattle has finally moved in to the clear the area known as the Capital Hill Autonomous Zone.
Organizers had urged the ending of the protest and for protesters to abandon the zone and move their protest online. Many remained however. Police moved in this morning to clear the area.
There have been six shootings in the area in which two men lost their lives. But it was only after Mayor Jenny Durkan’s $7.6 million house was threatened that she gave the order for law and order to be restored.
Durkan had originally referred to the autonomous zone as a block party and opined that the area would usher in a “summer of love” in Seattle.
Last weekend City Councilmember Kshama Sawant, an original participant of the Occupy Wall Street protests from 10 years ago and a self-described socialist, led a march of protesters to Durkan’s home. Yesterday Durkan fired off an angry letter calling for Sawant to be expelled from the City Council.
This morning, at 5am, the city began dismantling the barricades from CHAZ.
Due to ongoing violence and public safety issues in the East Precinct/Cal Anderson Park area. Mayor Jenny Durkan has issued an executive order to vacate the area. Seattle police will be in the area this morning enforcing the Mayor’s order. https://t.co/SpVRYIB8eg pic.twitter.com/JAt2AvUTCr
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) July 1, 2020
Police have cleared #CHOP to Pike @KING5Seattle pic.twitter.com/0GUSkZkFA0
— Michael Crowe (@MichaelReports) July 1, 2020