Seattle police clear CHOP zone and make arrests after mayor orders protesters to leave
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ea/5354605002/
Police in Seattle converged on the city's protest zone early Wednesday, making arrests and sweeping through streets that
demonstrators occupied for weeks to protest police brutality and systemic racism.
Mayor Jenny Durkan issued an executive order for protesters to vacate the area, and police enforced it.
The decision to clear the area, first known as the
Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone or CHAZ, then the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, or CHOP, followed an outbreak of violence.
At least two fatal shootings occurred in the CHOP in recent weeks, and police said other shootings, robberies and violence have occurred since protesters took over the area after police abandoned their East Precinct nearby.
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Police Chief Carmen Best said she supports peaceful protests, but "enough is enough. The CHOP has become lawless and brutal."
Police said on Twitter they had made at least 31 arrests, and officers were equipped with "additional protective gear" as suspects in recent crimes may be in the area and others may be armed.
Police in riot gear and on bikes formed lines along the streets and marched through the area, pushing back demonstrators. Officers tore down fences, cleared trash and poked around bushes.
Most protesters left several hours after police began clearing the area around 5 a.m. Wednesday. A loud bang around 6:15 a.m. was followed by a cloud of smoke, though there were no signs of major clashes between police and protesters.
By midmorning,
police said they were providing perimeter security as city crews cleaned up the area. Heavy equipment was brought in to remove concrete barriers, and debris was taken away on trucks.
Attorney General William Barr praised Best and the department in a statement Wednesday, saying the protest area had "became a haven for violent crime."
"The message of today’s action is simple but significant: The Constitution protects the right to speak and assemble freely, but it provides no right to commit violence or defy the law," Barr said.
The occupation of the several-block area in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood began in early June after several tense nights of protest outside the police precinct. Seattle, like many other cities around the USA, saw large demonstrations after the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
Police abandoned the precinct building after officers used tear gas on demonstrators despite the mayor's ban on the chemical irritant.
Once police left, protesters barricaded several blocks and declared the area a police-free autonomous zone.
For days, people discussed racism and systemic inequality. They gave speeches, painted murals and handed out snacks. A community garden was set up at a park in the area.
Durkan initially defended the protest society from attacks by President Donald Trump, who called the demonstrators "Domestic Terrorists" and demanded the city clear the area.
After the violence, Durkan became critical of the area, too, and asked people to leave.
Durkan said the city would try to dismantle the CHOP as nearby businesses and property owners filed a federal lawsuit against the city last Wednesday. The suit claims officials have been too tolerant of those who created the zone and deprived property owners of their rights by allowing the zone to exist.
Contributing: Trevor Hughes and William Cummings; The Associated Press
Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller
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