Seattle police start to clear CHOP, make 23 arrests following mayor’s executive order to disperse
Kaylee Greenlee on July 1, 2020
Seattle police arrested 23 people Wednesday morning after the mayor ordered protesters at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone to vacate within 48 hours, according to the Seattle Police Department.
Police said they arrested the individuals for failure to disperse, obstruction, resisting arrest and assault after Democratic Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan issued an emergency executive order labeling CHOP as an unlawful assembly.
“Enough is enough. The CHOP has become lawless and brutal,” Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said in a statement. “My job, and the job of our officers, is to protect and serve our community. This is not an end to our department’s engagement with demonstrators.”
Durkan’s order cited 13 specific instances of alleged threats to public health, safety and life.
The mayor acknowledged that “much of the expression has been peaceful and created community solidarity for Black Lives Matter,” mentioning the garden, conversation corner and art installments created within CHOP.
Durkan said she recognized the “right to lawfully assemble guaranteed by the Constitution,” but added that “City departments have more than reasonably accommodated protesters.”
“The City’s obligations under the First Amendment do not require the City to provide limitless sanctuary to occupy City property, damage City and private property, obstruct the right of way, or foster dangerous conditions,” Durkan said.
Durkan ordered every city department to respond to her order, with the Seattle Police Department maintaining the closure of the park and carrying out arrests for people who refuse to vacate the area.
The neighborhood was previously called the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” by activists, and was renamed the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” zone or “CHOP” mid-June, the Daily Caller reported. The zone is comprised of nearly six residential blocks, businesses and the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct headquarters.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
Scroll down to comment!
Question:
Who cleans up the mess from the four week occupation?
Should make the occupiers pay but somehow I think it will be the taxpayer.
How about the mayor and the governor come out of pocket on this one!!!
There shold be a definite shake up in city hall. This mayor is not doing a good jub of leadership and is costing the city money that she will never be responsible for. Taxes will have to pay for the damage and destruction of city property.
It’s about BLOODY time
I guess Seattle taxpayers will have to clean up their mess and that is not fair. Happy I do not live there. The Mayor finally did what should have been done weeks ago.
It’s amazing how fast things can change when the anarchists started coming to the mayor’s neighborhood.
Why would a mayor let this happen?? She’s a fool!! This is disgusting !!! She’s a fool, enough is is enough! 1 day is too much, so much for summer love fest!! This Isn’t 1969 hippys you’re a low life democratic that just hates Trump! Now clean up the mess YOU created !!!
How about all those people and businesses effected by illegal autonomous zone , sue the mayor and city for damages and pain and suffering, Sounds like a class a tion suit.
The more radical “rioters” and “Useless Idiot Recruits” should be placed in Leg-Irons and tasked with cleaning up their mess AND reimbursing shop owners for damages and lost business.
This should happen in all cites where there were rioters and statue “Tearer-Downer-Miscreants” ?
This should have been eliminated as soon as the very first person was hurt or property damaged. Once that happened it ceased to be a “peaceful protest” and became a riot, and the First Amendment does HOT protect riots.
It’s funny that this comes in the heels of Trymp saying he’ll restore order if she won’t. She derides the President and makes the usual Juvenile accusations toward Trump, but then a day or so later suddenly this needs to be addressed. Lmao
Seattle citizens should retaliate at the poles.
ALM (all lives matter) is the only thing that counts toward living and growing old. if you dont believe in ALM, then you are totally lost.
Funny how the mayor didn’t want things cleaned up till there were protesters outside her house. She should have to personally reimburse everything the citizens in that area lost. The citizens in that whole area should sue the city, mayor and who ever else is responsible for failing to do their jobs.
We don’t want your chop and his crew on the East side
Agree – forced labor!!
NO LABOR – NO FOOD!
Mayor & governor are guilty of treason & SHOULD DIE!
Lol democrats are so stupid. The mayor that hates the police has to rely on them to get her town back. I can see where biden is the smartest democrat and he is worthless. Democrats should be considered mentally incompetent terrorist against the USA.
I AGREE 100%, RICH!!! THEY WOULDN’T LIKE ME FOR THEIR MAYOR…HARD LABOR FOR 6 MONTHS…CHAINED TOGETHER WITH IRON BALLS EVERY 4TH PERSON.
Why didn’t you mention that the mayor had the Peaceful protestors in front of her house spray painting it with graffiti and calling her home threatening her life? The mayor had her address private because she was a district attorney (some attorney) and kept it private and the Socialist group had threatened her life and others. Soooo the mayor NOW wants law and order and could care less about the business owners and constituents in her district. Those Dems only care about themselves until it’s them that are threatened. Shameful!
What a bunch of crap. Never should have let it get that far. What a bunch of spineless officials. The thugs just want every place to look like their hometowns.
The summer of love is over! What a joke of a mayor. I feel sorry for the people who lived and tried to have a business in this area. We as a country are in trouble. If law and order is not respected by people elected to positions of authority. The real reason is they had a protest at the mayor’s house,ironic you get action after this.
I certainly understand your frustration, but really! Do you think they should be executed for being weak?
These Governors, & Mayors, & City Councils, that are defunding our police, so that the people that depend on the police will have no protection, are scum. They have protection, paid for by you the tax payers, so they have no worries about themselves. The time has come for all good people, of every race, religion, & sex, to open their eyes, see what is going on around them, & to decide for themselves, what they want. In November, when you vote, do what is best for you, & your family, & your future, & for the America, that you want to live in. May God Bless America, & All Americans.
when is the mayor going to be removed for allowing it in the first place?
arrest the mayor too littlt too late
This only happened, for several outlaw bike clubs had made the ultimatum that they were going to “Free” the people and businesses of the area, effective July 4th. This would most likely have lead to a lot of bloodshed and would prove to the world what a worthless/spineless/useless mayor and Governor are….. They had no choice. They only did this to save their own ass.
Hey Jenny in your mind it was peaceful but what about the people shot and killed? Where do the fall under peaceful? What about the damaged property and clean up? Do you really believe this is why you exist or got elected? I’m sure there are a lot of people waiting to visit your City? Idiot!