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Capitol Hill protest zone shifts out of Cal Anderson Park with remaining core of campers surrounding East Precinct — UPDATE

UPDATE: Daytime scenes from the camp’s return to 12th and Pine

Uncertainty gave way to a multiplicity of plans Tuesday night as the Capitol Hill protest zone camp cleared parts of its Cal Anderson Park core.

Some carried their tents across the turf Bobby Morris field to strengthen and continue the occupation around the emptied East Precinct and carry on with Black Lives Matter goals and calls for defunding the Seattle Police Department.

Some rallied around a reported plan to move to a new camp below the Space Needle for renewed energy — and attention.

Others broke camp and left the scene.

 

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The streets around the precinct remain protest-filled

If his Converge Media has become the CNN of CHOP, Omari Salisbury must be its… Anderson Cooper?

CHS found Capitol Hill community leaders touring the scene Wednesday. Chophouse Row developer Liz Dunn and Chris Persons of Community Roots Housing (formerly Capitol Hill Housing) were there and said they were supportive of the camp’s goals and not happy with Mayor Durkan and her police force’s handling of the situation around the precinct

Cal Anderson is not empty… yet

Community activist Andre Taylor has been encouraging campers to leave the scene. “You could take that idea around the country, and then around the world,” Taylor said Monday as a speaker in Mayor Durkan’s press conference. “Don’t minimize the idea of CHOP — don’t make it be a place.”

The scenes — broadcast live by Omari Salisbury and his Converge Media who have emerged as the grassroots CNN of the protest zone and in pictures and updates from the mix of apartment dwelling neighbors who have found themselves both part of the story and some of the key documentarians of the events in the camp — showed the first signs that the hopes of Mayor Jenny Durkan and SPD Chief Carmen Best that a “peaceful” approach emphasizing community groups and social service outreach could complete the winding down of the CHOP after the quick erosion that has followed a weekend of deadly gun violence and ongoing concerns about how Seattle Police and Seattle Fire are choosing to deploy resources in the zone.

Though general assembly meetings continue and the nightly march to the West Precinct happened again Tuesday night, many core elements cleared out in the midst of the shootings and safety worries with the dismantling of things like the sprawling No Cop Co-op and the exit of some of the camp’s key decision makers, and medical volunteers. The camp DJ was seen packing up Tuesday night.

Though individuals have emphasized the protest camp’s democratic, collective leadership, key organizers faced growing strain around the remaining campers including many without shelter who have chosen to join the occupation. Durkan said Monday night that homelessness and mental health outreach would be a key component of safely clearing the camp.

Chief Best has said SPD is preparing plans for reopening the East Precinct as quickly and as safely as possible but has provided no specific timeline. Durkan has said it would not be safe to reestablish the precinct by sending in police officers as a force to reclaim the headquarters. Community partners, she said, are being asked for help to reduce the camp and the number of protesters at the site while efforts at larger “systemic change” come in the 2020 budget. Wednesday, the Seattle City Council will take up the mayor’s proposed changes to the budget brought on by the COVID-19 crisis that includes belt-tightening across the board. She is proposing a $20 million cut to SPD — about a 5% slice. Protesters have been calling for cutting the budget in half. Meanwhile, Durkan has also promised increased social spending in Black and “marginalized communities” and at the state level where the mayor said she will push for legislative changes to address how the Seattle police union operates.

The city is also in talks with groups about creating a Black community space in Capitol Hill. First African Methodist Episcopal Church pastor Carey G. Anderson said he is offering up his 14th Ave church as a place for groups to meet to talk about the Black Lives Matter movement if needed.

With the protest camp as a center, weeks of Seattle protest effort has marked a handful of gains and promises from the city of ongoing talks with activists and community groups and a review of police crowd control tactics.

Since its formation in the exit of police from the East Precinct building and the barriers at 12th and Pine on June 8th, the camp was celebrated as a center of protest and also for its art and community even as there were reports open-carry enthusiasts joining the crowds and a regular presence of armed sentries posted around the area as part of camp security.

The city worked out a new layout plan with protesters to better open the area to traffic and emergency vehicles. The move shifted the camp’s focus into the park while the streets remained filled with barriers and arts. Meanwhile, there was growing unease about Seattle Police’s limited presence in the zone around 11th and Pine and Cal Anderson Park and growing criticism that the camp’s purpose of occupying the area and the “Seattle People’s Precinct” was overtaking greater Black Lives Matter goals.

There was also tragedy. Early Saturday, one man was killed in a shooting at 10th and Pine. 19-year-old Renton High student Lorenzo Anderson died in an incident that has become a flashpoint of controversy with police restricting their presence in the area following the emptying of the East Precinct headquarters and Seattle Fire’s limited abilities to respond without police presence.

Another victim from that deadly night was reportedly found shot at 11th and Pike. SPD reported the incidents Saturday as a single shooting and media outlets including CHS included that information in their reporting. KIRO’s Deborah Horne Tuesday reported new details of the second victim. The story details the victim’s account of a previously unreported second shooting perpetrated by group of men at 11th and Pike. “I’m not sure if they were Proud Boys or KKK,” DeJuan Young tells Horne:

SPD and Seattle Fire’s timeline of the night’s events accounts for Young as an unnamed second victim found at 11th and Pike but does not include details specifying a second shooting. In his interview with KIRO, Young says he was left unprotected because of SPD’s reluctance to enter the protest area. Video from Converge Media shows camp medics searching for and reportedly finding shell casings at 11th and Pike where Young says he was shot. Young also appears to have suffered injuries in a 2018 shooting.

The new revelation will add to concerns about the shootings and the death of the 19-year-old Anderson, an aspiring hip hop artist, who friends have said was targeted because of a personal beef.

Wednesday morning, a larger cluster of tents now has risen around the 12th and Pine precinct building that remains covered in plywood and graffiti amid the large cement barriers placed by the city to help maintain vehicle access through the area. Graffiti, tagging, and art covers everything including the park’s large Water Mountain feature and reservoir pumphouse. Area buildings and businesses will also face massive clean-up jobs ahead. The rainbow crosswalks are being cleaned and repaired by the city in preparation for Pride weekend — though most formal events have been moved online due to the pandemic. The camp’s night was full of rumors about the Space Needle move, a kidnapping, an imminent invasion by SPD forces, Proud Boys worries, and speculation about a visit from leaders of the Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County chapter that has been working closely with officials. There are fewer people but more worries at the camp as those who remain continue to try to win new gains by holding the space they occupy.

 

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Irony and double standards
Irony and double standards
3 years ago

Is anyone else sick of the irony?
1) People want police defunded, but are demanding they clear the CHOP area. If their role is to enforce law and order, but the politicians aren’t wanting people arrested or charged why would we even send in the police. They should refuse.
2) The CHOP protestors/occupiers surround, scream, throw things, follow, and threaten cops for even getting near the area. But now businesses, locals, and victims that are part of the CHOP area blame police and the city for its problems. Hmm how can they help if they aren’t allowed in.
3) protesters across the US use hateful speech and violent actions against police, businesses, and press but it’s become completely acceptable and none of them seem to be summarily fires from their employees.
4) CHOP camp leaders can’t seem to control the people and they are packing up and going home. So the people they blame for all the problems will have to come in clean up their mess.
5) the community they are in is unable to effectively celebrate, provide learning opportunities, and advocate their needs during PRIDE month and it seems ok to either silence them or shame people for “not staying in the moment. We are a big country with lots of issues and no one should silenced.

Fairforall
Fairforall
3 years ago

There may be lawsuits from families of the dead and injured. Does CHOP have any idea of the devastating effect on these families?
What do they intend to do for them?
Who gets the bill for clean-up and repair/replacement/reconstruction etc after CHOP moves out. It seems fair that first $$$ from the proposed 20% pay cut of police dept should go to cover this massive project. Don’t forget destruction of police cars and equipment, the list goes on.

Matilda
Matilda
3 years ago

some people are claiming this Twitter account is a police op but it also appears “CHOP” or “CHAZ” or whatever security started moving people up to the e precinct within 30 minutes after this tweet — https://twitter.com/CHOPOfficialSEA/status/1275705140872384513

— and now the park is pretty much empty

who is calling the shots???

Alex S.
Alex S.
3 years ago
Reply to  Matilda

Well, when different factions of young, drug-addled anarchists all think they are running the show – nobody will ever know who’s calling the shots.

Dan Lukx
Dan Lukx
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

Didn’t Kshama Sawant release a statement saying, “Though we await confirmation of the details of the killing, there are indications that this may have been a right-wing attack” …

But in this post “friends have said was targeted because of a personal beef.”

So did the victim have beef with right-wingers? Or MAYBE Kshama Sawant should stop taking plays out of Trump’s book and wait for the facts before making statements to inflame her most ardent supporters.

Bob Knudson
Bob Knudson
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

Sawant did walk back her initial comments about the right-wing, but she did NOT apologize for her irresponsible claim. Typical.

Paul
Paul
3 years ago

The remaining protesters/agitators surrounding the precinct will get cleared out. They have squandered any real goodwill of the community and its residents and small businesses. They have muddied any message they were ever trying to convey. But they will insist on making a scene and getting arrested. Occupy degenerated into a shit show and so has this. But they want their sympathetic media coverage as the rest of the area can’t get rid of them fast enough.

Zach
Zach
3 years ago

Justin, do you know if there’s any clean up efforts we can help with? The park is pretty destroyed, I’d like to help repair it.

Adam
Adam
3 years ago
Reply to  Zach

+1 to this. Would love to participate in an organized effort to repair Cal Anderson Park.

Jon
Jon
3 years ago
Reply to  Adam

Ditto. I am all in on a Park clean-up Day!

Bob Knudson
Bob Knudson
3 years ago
Reply to  Adam

Me too!……it’s going to take a huge effort on the part of the City and community volunteers to clean up the massive amount of graffiti. And the chances of the occupiers, who made the mess, doing this are exactly…..zero.

Jill
Jill
3 years ago
Reply to  Zach

This is the type of response I recognize from this neighborhood! I would also participate. Thanks Zach!

Another Jill
Another Jill
3 years ago
Reply to  Zach

Me too. I’m in for the clean-up and will be watching this blog for any good news. Thanks Justin!

Aaja
Aaja
3 years ago
Reply to  Zach

Good idea, can all the graffiti even be removed?

Fairforall
Fairforall
3 years ago
Reply to  Aaja

That is fantastic that all of you are willing to do that. I am too far away but good luck to you. Be careful with the clean up. Could be sharps in the grass.

Bob Knudson
Bob Knudson
3 years ago
Reply to  Aaja

It will be a major challenge to actually remove it all without a trace. The City will have to deploy alot of pressure washers. It will be necessary to hire some professional cleaners to do the job, with the help of city staff and community members.

Matt McClintock
Matt McClintock
3 years ago
Reply to  Aaja

Things will need to be torn down and redone. The mess left behind is surreal.

CD Balooka
CD Balooka
3 years ago
Reply to  Zach

+1 here too. Let’s clean our community!

Ken
Ken
3 years ago

So… not much has changed and now the park is destroyed. Thanks everybody. So many positive changes. Go destroy the Space Needle, not a park in a neighborhood where the community comes together.

SK
SK
3 years ago
Reply to  Ken

I was hopeful after seeing this and recent news but went by today (Wed) around 5pm and it’s still packed and active. Whole area is high-traffic and there was group brawl centered around two angry shirtless junkies with many people screaming in front of 12th Ave Arts. Every surface of everything is covered in paint and garbage with people clearly not planning on going anywhere and entrenched installations. I’ve lived here 15 years and if you dropped me in the middle of the park I wouldn’t have recognized where I was.

Huh
Huh
3 years ago

There are more tents in the park today, then what there was yesterday.

Mrchop
Mrchop
3 years ago
Reply to  Huh

It’s wishful thinking that this mess is just going to go away. Warm weather, no cops, unemployment $$. Why would you leave !

csy
csy
3 years ago
Reply to  Mrchop

TBH, I’m surprised this current influx of tents at Cal Anderson didn’t happen waaay earlier, what with Sawant’s stance against the Nav Team, homeless sweeps, etc. So will Sawant block any attempts to sweep the tents at CA? Will tiny houses arise in their place? Will CA be declared a “sanctuary park” for homeless-experiencers? Stay tuned…

Ed
Ed
3 years ago
Reply to  Huh

It didn’t seem all that different to me at noon today. The north end seemed to have a few less tents, the rest seemed roughly the same.

Yesterday evening I saw a couple of people packing up tents. Today at noon there were a couple of cars being loaded with camping gear, I assume to leave (at the north end of the play field).

Seemed like fewer people walking around, but overall not too different from previous days. There was definitely more trash lying around, perhaps because there are fewer people to pick it up.

Ed
Ed
3 years ago
Reply to  Ed

Looks like there’s been an effort, as of this evening, to spread the tents out across the park. The previously empty area in the middle now has tents placed at regular intervals.

it's so obvious
it's so obvious
3 years ago

The victim is unsure if the shooters we’re proud boys, KKK, or commenters from CHS Blog

DS
DS
3 years ago

Or maybe the same people who shot him in 2018. Or the same gang anyway. Who do you know that gets shot by random strangers every 18 months?

Cappy
Cappy
3 years ago

Everybody wants to de-fund the police and replace it with programs like “Restorative Justice.” CHOP should be the ones cleaning up Cal Anderson Park. Restore the memorial park back to its original condition as an example and an act of goodwill towards the community…vandalism and defacing public property is a crime.

Seaweed
Seaweed
3 years ago
Reply to  Cappy

LOL.

csy
csy
3 years ago
Reply to  Cappy

Of course, if advocates of DecriminalizeSeattle.com had their way, crimes like vandalism and defacing public property would be….well…decriminalized, of course! And voila, just like that, CHOP and ilk are off the hook. Easy-peasy!

cancellandlords
cancellandlords
3 years ago

Grumpy wealthy people are angry because the protest might hurt their property values? So they comment here because they can remain anonymous?

Cappy
Cappy
3 years ago

Irresponsible young people are angry because they’re being told not to draw on the walls and to clean up after themselves. So they post their tantrums here because they can remain anonymous.

Brian N.
Brian N.
3 years ago
Reply to  Cappy

Lol, epic

csy
csy
3 years ago
Reply to  Cappy

Yup, all the things they were supposed to learn in kindergarten….

thetruth
thetruth
3 years ago

Can you blame them? You’re a degenerate. You don’t work and want free rent. You’re a net liability on society, which is why you lash out at people who are productive and create wealth.

Helen
Helen
3 years ago

Also some of us are renters who work crappy jobs that we can’t get enough sleep for due to the encampments and 24 hour festival.

Good job pissing off working class liberal people who might otherwise be sympathetic to you.

Bob Knudson
Bob Knudson
3 years ago

Your comment is BS. No one, including homeowners, is concerned about “property values.” But we are concerned and angry about the extreme trashing of our neighborhood by those who have nothing better to do.

cancellandlords
cancellandlords
3 years ago

1 I am a renter
2 I am not a protester
3 I work crappy jobs
4 Black Lives Matter
5 Money is the root of all evil

Meow
Meow
3 years ago

5: money is like a plant or the air you breathe…lack of being loved and accepted in your current state more likely is where the roots are

JerSeattle
JerSeattle
3 years ago
Reply to  Meow

Money is a made up human concept that only has value because idiot humans put value on it.

It’s like humans and god.

Society can be different if enough people want change.

Ivy Rose NightScales Williams

Yes this is messy but police brutality is worse. Poverty and hunger is worse. No place to live is worse. Fascism is worse. So we can complain about the noise and inconvenience of uprisings.

Do we want to tolerate austerity, inequality and racism?

I can never tolerate it. The status quo is killing most of us.

Who maintains it? The police, the mayor, the corporate rich.
Ordinary people cannot trust them for a second thats one reason to rise up.

CD Balooka
CD Balooka
3 years ago

100% agreed. Problem is the message has been lost in all the disorganization/chaos.

csy
csy
3 years ago
Reply to  CD Balooka

Actually, the message is quite loud and clear — that this disorganized, chaotic mess is exactly what a world without police would look like. But hey, at least it’s not the status quo. Enjoy.

CD Balooka
CD Balooka
3 years ago
Reply to  CD Balooka

“Actually, the message is quite loud and clear — that this disorganized, chaotic mess is exactly what a world without police would look like. But hey, at least it’s not the status quo. Enjoy.”

— Totally.

JerSeattle
JerSeattle
3 years ago
Reply to  CD Balooka

The message is loud and clear.

You have a big group of random people down there. So won’t be seamless.

Just appreciate that we as a society are having a revolution on how we treat our fellow human beings and we are all be forced to pay attention.

csy
csy
3 years ago
Reply to  CD Balooka

I’d like to know how this “revolution” plans to bring last weekend’s shooter(s) and would-be rapist of fellow human beings to justice.

Ivy Rose NightScales Williams

The art is beautiful. And no one should have to work crappy jobs just to live. That is one reason we fight back.

BornonCapHillheremostofmylife
BornonCapHillheremostofmylife
3 years ago

Agreed, but then who works the crappy jobs in your nirvana?

csy
csy
3 years ago

All crappy jobs magically disappear once cop-less nirvana is attained.

Cappy
Cappy
3 years ago

Art belongs on a canvas…no a wall or a structure built as a memorial. There is no such thing as a “crappy job.” A job is a job, especially if it results in a paycheck. If you don’t like your job quit and find another…stop being a help rejecting complainer.

Ec
Ec
3 years ago

GET OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD!!!! GO HOME, GO TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND SET UP CAMP!!!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!

JerSeattle
JerSeattle
3 years ago

The race riots of the 50’s and 60’s wasn’t easy for anyone.
The women’s movement of the 70’s wasn’t easy for anyone.

People protesting in Seattle is not easy for anyone. Its inconvenient but necessary.

Those that want them to leave because it makes you uncomfortable? Well good. If it makes you uncomfortable, then you have to listen. Agree or disagree its not going away until change happens.

I’m sorry your privilege gives you the space to be con comfortable about the protestors when the people they are protesting for have been uncomfortable for their whole lives!!!

Self entitled a-holes wanting them to leave!

Eli
Eli
3 years ago
Reply to  JerSeattle

I’m not sure how a bunch of people throwing loud concerts at night in Cal Anderson Park is making change happen — other than alienating the voting community that needs to support the change?

Speaking as a former & trained community organizer — this sounds like tactics without a strategy.

csy
csy
3 years ago
Reply to  JerSeattle

If anyone should be uncomfortable, it should be CHOP, as they ambivalently allow the mentally-ill, druggies, gang-bangers, and various uncontrollables to “represent” their disastrous cop-free “utopia” to the world on their behalf. What an embarrassment.