“Two African-American men are dead at a place where they claim to be working for Black Lives Matter.”
Seattle police chief @carmenbest is heckled by angry protesters at a press conference inside “CHAZ” addressing the homicide & injury of two black children by CHAZ security. pic.twitter.com/RvvLkFyYxc
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) June 30, 2020
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best asked why it is that African-American men keep getting killed in a zone created by the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
BLM protesters commandeered a 6-block area in downtown Seattle several weeks ago and dubbed it the self-governing “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,” or CHAZ. It subsequently changed its name to the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest,” or CHOP, to build synergies with the Occupy Wall Street movement from 10 years ago.
A 19-year-old black man was shot and killed, and another wounded during a shooting in the area two weekends ago. In the early hours of Monday morning, a 16-year-old black minor was killed and a 14-year-old was critically wounded.
“It’s very unfortunate that we have yet another murder in this area identified as the CHOP – two African-American men dead at a place where they claim to be working for Black Lives Matter,” Best said.
Chief Best was continually interrupted and heckled by BLM supporters as she was addressing reporters.
Seattle Police’s East Precinct house lies within the borders of CHOP. Officers there were ordered to stand down by state and local officials and vacate the house when protesters moved in. Best opposed that decision.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has received harsh criticism for her handling of the CHAZ/CHOP situation, as she originally said the protest resembled a “block party” and may usher in a “summer of love” in Seattle.
After the first shooting incident two weeks ago, Seattle officials asked protesters to leave the area but there are still many protesters who refuse to leave.
Activists should not have been allowed to “take over an entire neighborhood,” Best said.
“Enough is enough here.”
Which begs the question, if even an African-American police chief is saying the CHAZ/CHOP zone is becoming a dangerous place for African-Americans and no one seems to care, then what’s the real purpose of the movement?