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Police and crowd control tactics left the scene, but residents near Capitol Hill protest zone contend with ongoing occupancy

Residents living in apartment buildings in and around the Capitol Hill protest zone are voicing ongoing concerns about demonstrators staging in the area, and increasingly drawing a distinction between current occupancy and the protesting against police brutality and inequality that has take place in Seattle since the end of May.

In the midst of the standoff between protestors and police guarding the East Precinct that let up June 8, residents of buildings like 11th and Pine’s Sunset Electric Apartments expressed concern about the harmful effects of police crowd control tactics being used. Although the weeklong standoff dissipated and “Free Capitol Hill” formed, residents in apartment complexes near the zone — like 12th Avenue Arts and 12th and Pine’s Packard Building Apartments — remain concerned.

One Packard resident, who has chosen to remain anonymous out of safety concerns, is leading efforts among 18 residents in the building to formulate a list of joint safety and security concerns to be sent to Mayor Durkan, Seattle City Council and other city department officials. According to the resident, residents in five of the other apartments in the building moved out in the past 48 hours because of these concerns.

A full letter from the group can be found at the end of this post.

 

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“People that are coming out here and participating, whether it was during the protests or during the occupation now, they have the option of opting in and opting out. They can choose when to come here and when to leave, and if they want to go home to their other neighborhood and have a good night’s rest, they get to choose that,” the resident told CHS. “We don’t get to choose how we participate in this and we have no say of what’s going on or any of the outcomes, and so I think there’s a growing frustration of uncertainty of what’s going to happen and how it’s directly impacting the permanent residents.”

The Packard tenant started a Google Group for residents to share information regarding conversations with protestors, safety and security concerns, issues with property management and logistical advice on how to break leases.

“I know that a lot of right-wing media has been portraying this in an absolute false, non-factual way, but also a lot of media has been painting this really rosy, perfect Kumbaya situation where it’s all peaceful and community and, while there’s a lot of merit and factuality to that, there’s a lot of stuff that’s been going on behind the scenes and around the clock, specifically in hours when there are not active rallies happening.”

Public safety concerns were heightened by incidents like last weekend’s attempted arson in front of the East Precinct, he explained, as well as “arguments amongst different groups of occupiers down there that have escalated to the point where I’m afraid that it’s going to become violent.” The Packard resident also noted the disturbance of amplified music coming from the demonstration and continuing on into the night, but said this has eased up as much of the protest activity migrates west down Pine toward Cal Anderson Park.

According to the resident, safety concerns have been met to a degree: Access to the Packard Building, which directly faces the East Precinct, was eased when the Seattle Department of Transportation rearranged the area on Tuesday and set up a new traffic lane — though the move has rankled some inside the camp and pushed an increased amount of demonstration activity into Cal Anderson Park.

“What we have now is a million times better than being occupied by the police and the National Guard,” the Packard resident said. “That was an absolutely terrifying experience that we’re still experiencing trauma and anxiety from.”

Residents of 12th Ave Arts, a Community Roots Housing property, echoed this sentiment in a “Statement of Support.” The end of the letter reads:

Since the police abandoned the East Precinct, we feel safe. We no longer have tear gas coming into our building, nor are we kept up all night by hundreds of flash grenades and the screams of people trying to escape them. Since the police left, things have been peaceful. We can only conclude that the police were the problem. Rather than keeping the peace, they perpetrated violence. We’re glad they are gone.

Our residents remain rattled by this experience. We’ve been struggling to sleep. Our kids are traumatized and our pets are sick. Residents have suffered increased anxiety, high blood pressure, and respiration complications as a result of the SPD’s excessive use of force.

We are grateful that police violence in our neighborhood has ended, and we now hope to work with the organizers and other community members to address the following:

  • Ensure our residents continue to have safe access to their homes
  • Ensure health workers and emergency responders have safe access to our building
  • Promote reasonable noise levels at night to help us recover from the ordeal of police occupation.

“To the organizers and demonstrators working to end systemic racism and militarized policing, we stand with you,” the letter concludes. “We look forward to working with you as the demonstrations continue to unfold.”

Occupation of the Capitol Hill protest zone remains a contentious issue in and outside the camp, as lines are delineated by some between these demonstrators and those protesting in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and against police brutality over the past few weeks.

“90% of residents and business in our portfolio are not for occupation. 99% is fully supportive of protests and police reform,” a person involved with property in the area, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, told CHS. “But Residents and tenants don’t feel safe at all from about 10:00PM one at night. It’s a warzone feel in the wee hours – it’s pretty crazy.”

Organizers and communities around the camp are also responding to concerns that the occupation effort has strayed from the early Black Lives Matter goals. Friday, activists are dedicating Juneteenth Friday to a “Blackout at the Chop” event to “center black healing and community” in an area that sometimes feels more like Capitol Hill Block Party than a demonstration:

We’re blacking out CHOP…the viral death of black bodies was the catalyst for this current movement and we need to make sure we remain focused. This means both policy and systemic change to our systems and healing space for black people.

A full letter from the Packard building resident group is below:

Dear Mayor Durkan, Seattle City Council and City Leaders,

This letter is sent to you on behalf of a collective of residents of the Packard Building Apartments at 1530 12th Avenue, direct neighbors to the Seattle PD East Precinct. We proudly stand with the courageous and resilient community members that protest and condemn the murders of black and brown people at the hands of police, white supremacy and the systems and institutions perpetuating racism.

We resided behind police barricades from May 31 to June 8, while our homes were surrounded by hundreds of armed Seattle PD, King County Sheriffs, SWAT, Washington State Patrol, National Guard and even the occasional King County Transit Police, Sound Transit Police, and the Bellevue Police Department – all while police helicopters constantly circled above. These forces arrived in militarized vehicles and occupied our streets causing terror and trauma to everyone around them. These individuals were heavily armed and required us to prove residency to enter our homes, followed us to our doors and on many occasions harassed residents for being outside or walking their dogs. There was never any direct communication with residents or property owners/managers about this violent occupation of our streets and the limitations of our existence around our homes.

We watched our friends, neighbors and community be assaulted by police using tear gas, flash bang grenades, rubber bullets, pepper spray and brute force as their cries filled the nighttime air. We were subject to being tear gassed inside of our homes on four different occasions, causing a range of symptoms from respiratory complications, coughing, burning of the mouth, nose, throat and eyes, and affecting pets that experienced seizures and wheezing. We stood in disbelief as we regularly watched Seattle PD snipers on the East Precinct roof aiming their rifles down at the crowd of protesters. We lost confidence in the police department, its leadership and frankly, the leadership that you as Mayor failed to show as your citizens were attacked. The Seattle PD should be held accountable for their actions.

We felt a strong sense of increased safety as the police forces abandoned the East Precinct and our streets. Since then, the well-intentioned creation CHOP has provoked inspiring community conversations, innovative protest strategies and a thorough list of organized demands focused on community-based ideals that support healthy, equitable communities. Along with the positive initiatives happening comes continued disruption and frustration for our residents. We have been denied access to our driveway, our building has been vandalized, we’ve witnessed attempted arson and escalated incidences of confrontation outside of our windows, have experienced amplified music and partying throughout the night and consistently have thousands of people congregating in the streets without masks during a global pandemic. We have received no information or engagement from the City or property management, Equity Residential. In the past 48 hours, five residents have moved out and more are making their plans to relocate due to the uncertainty.

We are thankful that the violent occupation of our street by police has ended, but we have legitimate concerns about safety and security as permanent residents within the occupied zone, especially given that organizers’ demands have not been met and resolution isn’t within sight. We echo other residents in the area at requesting solutions to the current situation including:

  1. Safe and unrestricted access to our homes and driveways
  2. Guaranteed access for emergency responders, caretakers, guests and delivery services
  3. Reasonable noise levels, especially after dark and within areas of residential homes
  4. Protocol in place for public health and sanitation, specifically COVID-19 mitigation measures
  5. Direct communication to property residents and managers on planned changes to the area

We support this critical moment in our history and proudly chant Black Lives Matter in the streets and from our rooftop. We hope to find common ground so that we too can be ready to continue fighting alongside organizers.

Respectfully,

A collective of residents at Packard Building Apartments

 

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Boo
Boo
3 years ago

Those poor residents. I feel so sorry for them. Have a friend who lives near Car Tenders who was terrified by the arson attempt last Sunday. The area looks terrible now, with everything defaced and trash everywhere. It’s not at all evident what the supposed cause is at this point. Shut it down.

RWK
RWK
3 years ago
Reply to  Boo

Agree. The sheer amount of graffiti is shocking (including, even, the fountain in north Cal Anderson Park!). It’s going to take a very long time, at taxpayer expense, for the City to clean all of it up, and even then there will be a residual. I resent the trashing of my neighborhood, by those who are not contributing in any way to the BLM movement.

mb
mb
3 years ago

While it would be nice to have real leaders who could address and resolve this situation for the good of our community I’m afraid that expectation is beyond the current city leadership. You have a feckless mayor who wants to ride this out lest the calls for her resignation grow louder, a city council that is intent on using the protestors to grow their own political ambitions and a neutered police force that has essentially given up. Combine that with the continued suppression of our economy due to Covid restrictions and you have all the elements needed for a long summer on Capitol Hill. I feel for the residents and business who are going to have to deal with the street festival up there but I don’t see this getting resolved any time soon.

Jim
Jim
3 years ago
Reply to  mb

We said MB. Basically City officials (the Mayor) are putting all this nonsense on the backs of property owners, businesses and renters in the area. Look for hundreds of lawsuits against the City (This is an attorneys dream come true). But no worries, the City will victimize us again with higher taxes to pay for said lawsuits. HOW DO I GET OUT OF HERE? Oh I forgot, I can’t sell my property now.

Eli
Eli
3 years ago
Reply to  Jim

If you own a home in Seattle, you can sell it easily for a great price. Especially if you’ve owned for many years.

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/weekly-home-sales-on-a-hot-streak-in-seattle-area-coronavirus-economy-daily-chart/

Liberation is yours!

CHOP Adjacent
CHOP Adjacent
3 years ago

I live a block removed from the CHOP/Cal Anderson. It is a leaderless mess now. Something needs to change.

overit
overit
3 years ago
Reply to  CHOP Adjacent

I live a couple blocks away, it was always a leaderless mess.

crinklypaper
crinklypaper
3 years ago

I live adjacent to CHOP and have abandoned my apartment to stay elsewhere. I’m going to keep an eye on things over the next few weeks before looking into breaking my lease.

I am 100% behind the protests and have been on the front lines. What we have is 100% better than the police occupation, but I also think it is rapidly disconnecting from the goals of the Black Lives Matter movement.

I’m not one to tell protesters how to protest, but I would say it’s time to march on the North precinct next. That seems way more productive than the festival happening in Cal Anderson.

B
B
3 years ago

You can tell they’re afraid of the consequences for speaking out. People would actually rather move out. Sad.

Josh
Josh
3 years ago

I’m sad to say, but deal with it. This area has traditionally been the area of protest in Seattle. If you did not do your due diligence before moving in that is your fault. I am certain the folks that live in the underserved minority communities also feel this way. No one hears their voices. Now wealthy folks are affected and you expect the city to do something. There is no affordable housing in this neighborhood (I live here as well), maybe we should all check our privilege. It has been just a couple of short weeks. Imagine if this was your entire life? If you feel unsafe, maybe go down and meet some of the folks who are occupying this area. My experience so far has been very positive. Capitol Hill was already a bar district, it has always been noisy late. On the weekends I have regularly heard people on the street until 3 am. This isn’t new, or frankly a problem. If you don’t like it, move away. You obviously have the means. If you encourage the mayor to “solve” the problem, what do you think that looks like? More police, more violence, less voices heard. I do understand the grievance, but maybe it is time for those of us with the means to be uncomfortable for a little while. Let’s walk a mile in their shoes. Then we can all work towards how we fix the whole system, not just placing the blame somewhere else.

Ed
Ed
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh

12th ave Arts building has affordable housing. Do you actually live here?

Michael W
Michael W
3 years ago
Reply to  Ed

12th Ave Arts 100% affordable housing and, no, those folks don’t have the cash to just “pick up and go”. Being a progressive doesn’t remove you from educating yourself about the community that you live in.

Chaz Neighbor
Chaz Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  Ed

I live in affordable housing that is in the zone.

Financially, just picking up and leaving isn’t quite so easy for us.

Boo
Boo
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh

“Now wealthy folks are affected and you expect the city to do something.” Arrogance personified. My friends impacted this are not wealthy. They are self-employed folks who visit food banks. As others have posted here, there are pockets of affordable housing still in the area.

I agree people living on Pike/Pine would hear the noise that was there on weekends. But that dropped a few blocks away. The problem now is that it’s continually noisy outside the party zone. And also, those people are going home. They’re staying. All night. Also, the neighborhood wasn’t as trashed as it is now. How does defacing a building advance the cause?

Chaz Neighbor
Chaz Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  Boo

And some of this affordable housing is in the closest proximity to the park, and most often at street level.

Can we please make this work??
Can we please make this work??
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh

There is actually a lot of affordable units in Capitol Hill and surrounding areas. I live in one of them. Your own privilege is showing here by not knowing this. And I have been begging for relief from the loss of transit stops in the area and the untenable noise; and as a poor person, I don’t have the option to simply move out. And like so many afraid to speak out, having serious impacts to living here as things stand does not mean we want the militarized police back (who really forced this occupation into being) or we aren’t on the front lines or actively anti-racist. It is unfortunate that this is the ongoing perpetuation of our concerns. Watch the many independent journalist streams and even the protestors in talks with the city admit to not being able to control what’s going on inside the occupation and make contradictive statements like they never asked the cops to not protect them at night and yet they say the zone is cop-free by their demands. And gun-touting citizens and all night party behaviors makes it hard to live with the current situation. It is also adversely affecting my health and my ability to take care of every day living needs. Both sides, sadly, are making it dangerous for me as a poor resident with few if any alternative resources now.

Boo
Boo
3 years ago

Can we please… mentioned an important issue, the bus stops. There was a comment from a disabled person elsewhere on this site where they said they aren’t ablebodied enough to get to the next bus stop, so they are basically stuck. I use those stops too, and it’s a hassle for me because they’re closed, but I at least can easily access other options. That’s not the case for other folks.

Jim
Jim
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh

Josh, I hear you. But I’ve lived here for over 10 years, IT’S NEVER BEEN LIKE THIS! How long have you lived here?

You use to see families at Cal Anderson. Take a look at the park now!

CHOP Adjacent
CHOP Adjacent
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh

There is affordable housing all around CHOP and across Capitol Hill. Check your facts before posting.

yetanotherhiller
yetanotherhiller
3 years ago
Reply to  Josh

Marches have commonly started at Seattle Central and proceeded downtown, but Westlake Park is demonstration central.

The Walgreen’s building next to the Egyptian is affordable housing.

CHOP Resident
CHOP Resident
3 years ago

I think most of the residents in the area are over the trashing of the neighborhood , however are afraid of speaking up and looking like they’re against the movement.

Mimi
Mimi
3 years ago
Reply to  CHOP Resident

Exactly. The Mayor has basically treated us and our neighborhood like sacrificial lambs, first with the police abuse (tear gassing etc.) and now allowing us to be occupied. I don’t think the majority of people who live here want this occupation or think that in any way it is going to help the fight against systemic racism. It’s devolved into a total shit-show and can’t go away fast enough.

CD Neighbor
CD Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  Mimi

So here’s the question then…. How do you propose to get rid of CHAZ/CHOP then? Do you honestly think asking them to go nicely is going to shift them an inch? It’s pretty clear that there’s nothing that can be reasonably done to placate their shifting and often outrageous demands that would get them to leave – a concession gets made, then they just say they want something else, an agreement I made, then part of the group claims hey never agreed to it and don’t abide. They aren’t even a cohesive enough group to negotiate with…. If force is off of the table, what exactly do you propose?

CD Neighbor
CD Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  Mimi

darn autocorrect…. an agreement *is* made… I never made any agreements with anyone…

Mimi
Mimi
3 years ago
Reply to  Mimi

I’m not an elected official, I didn’t create this mess. If I were in charge I would have let the protesters peacefully march passed the police station on the first day of protests and never created a stand-off situation with police. That was the first mistake that was followed by a series of mistakes including calling this the “summer of love”. I think the Mayor needs to clean up her mess. Will she do it? I’m not hopeful. The only thing that gives me hope is that it appears to me that the size of the crowd is dwindling in the occupied area. I look to history and the Occupy Movement. It was also well-intentioned but died out eventually by it’s own lack of leadership. The end may have to come from within.

CD Neighbor
CD Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  Mimi

Oh – I think it will eventually implode under it’s own weight too – but how much are you willing to take – how are you and your immediate neighbors going to feel months from now, as the noise, trash and chaos continue? Occupy lasted 3 months – during the winter…. this group has the coming of pleasant weather and a perfect storm of things that I don’t doubt will prolong this – little to do with so many businesses closed or running under capacity, pandemic $$/unemployment checks to sustain at least some of them… Are you prepared for this to last that long?

mb
mb
3 years ago
Reply to  Mimi

The mayor has washed her hands of this whole situation. It’s on the council now. To use a phrase popular with the district 3 rep it will take a movement of ordinary people who want their lives back to demand the council insert themselves into the mess they created and find a peaceful resolution. Mosqueda and Sawant emboldened the protest so it will be up to them to figure out how to resolve it.

CD Neighbor
CD Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  Mimi

Good luck with that mb…. Sawant supports them over you any day. She was one of the organizers for Occupy back in 2011. Elected representative of this neighborhood or not, don’t expect any help from her – this is what she wants.

mb
mb
3 years ago
Reply to  Mimi

Totally agree. This was her desire all along and the only thing she will do now is stoke the flames even higher in order to bring about her utopian revolution. Sawant is nothing more than a court jester on the council though. The real power lies with Mosqueda and Gonzales who are both eyeing higher level positions in the next election cycle. The media needs to do their job and put pressure on them for a plan.

Cap Hill Resident
Cap Hill Resident
3 years ago
Reply to  Mimi

Agree…until Sawant begins representing her district, Capitol Hill, instead of advancing her own agenda, it will be hard to get the situation to change. Realize that’s a pipedream, though. We need representatives who will govern. If they want to be organizers, great. We need good community organizers who can work to influence policy. But governance is different…they’re elected officials who should represent their constituents’ interests, not their own. We have enough governing by personal agenda with the current President….don’t need it in Seattle, too.

Cy
Cy
3 years ago

“Wealthy folks” hahaha. Half of my building is low income you ignorant fool. Not only “rich people” live in this area…

CapitolNotCapital
CapitolNotCapital
3 years ago

– You clearly dont know shit about the neighborhood if you don’t think there is any low-income or subsidized housing here.
I agree that this area is a hot bed for protests – that’s not new – but people didnt sign up to get teargassed that live in apartments above where protest occur.
And for your comment about just go down there and talk to people..sure. I am there every day. On Monday, a man locked eye contact with me, pulled his pants down and took a shit while staring at me. It was 7:30 am. Then another man told me that that the gay white people in this neighborhood can go fuck themselves.
yes this is a noisy neighborhood, but it’s not ok to set up turntables and have a fucking rave at 3 am on the streets.

Alex S.
Alex S.
3 years ago

Yeah, clearly the police were the cause of all that destruction. The same people who destroyed & looted downtown & Chinatown would have had their way with Capitol Hill if it wasn’t for the heavy police presence.

The notion that the government can just “hug it out” with violent criminals and anarchists hellbent on smashing & tagging anything they come across is such a joke.

I wonder if the naive millennials who wrote that letter saw the video of Raz Simone handing-out assault rifles to teenagers who didn’t even know how to hold them. If that’s the kind of thing that makes them feel safe, I’ve got to wonder what kind of upbringing they had.

And if they think their future in the neighborhood rests on 30 ridiculous demands written on the back of a napkin – including emptying out the jails – they might as well just move back to San Jose now.

crinklypaper
crinklypaper
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

Look, The CHOP is annoying as hell to live in, but the protesters were not “violent criminals” and you’re full of Fox News bullshit to think that’s true.

mb
mb
3 years ago
Reply to  crinklypaper

No but they are not innocent, peaceful flower children either. In any society you are going to have those who thrive on conflict, openly embracing it and others who use the absence of standards to prey on those who are weaker than them. All of this is going on in the CHOP. So while its correct to reject the Fox News photoshopped gunman narrative its equally correct to reject the notion that all of these people are there to make our society a better place for all. Until we can speak the truth about both sides of the extreme and acknowledge neither are acceptable things will continue to deteriorate. My only real fear is something will happen at some point whether it be violence or a fire and innocent lives will be needless impacted because the “leadership” in this city is too busy playing politics to address the erosion of basic standards of living.

Srujan
Srujan
3 years ago

Thank you for finally posting an article that is balanced. We are fully supportive of the protests, but we need to stop the partying and arson and focus on the actual cause.

Jess
Jess
3 years ago

I’m a resident at Sunset Electric, which is located at 11th and Pine, and wanted to say thank you for posting this. Reading this made me feel less alone in my frustrations and fears. Thank you a Packard Building neighbors for writing your letter. It echoes the sentiments of myself and many of my neighbors perfectly.

MS
MS
3 years ago
Reply to  Jess

This echos the sentiments of thousands that put up with this noise every night. What about the noise ordinance? I guess the city has turned their backs on us.
Who is going to pay for the private property damage? The tagging is crazy. The paint companies must love it right now.

Live in CHAZ
Live in CHAZ
3 years ago
Reply to  Jess

I live on 11th and East Olive Street in CHAZ and agree completely. Thank you for organizing and posting this. These are my exact sentiments.

Has there been organizing across buildings in CHAZ? I imagine there are many folks in my building who feel the same way and would like to join in to try and change this occupation. I’d love to connect with other residents in CHAZ.

Jess
Jess
3 years ago
Reply to  Live in CHAZ

I’m not sure if there’s been any coordination across building, but I too would be interested in collaborating. Maybe we should exchange info somehow (privately)?

Eli
Eli
3 years ago

Kudos to the authors of these letters for their empathy and allyship (while also asserting their own livability needs and sanity.)

Jon
Jon
3 years ago

The major lesson in all this is that the hard-working, taxpaying, law-abiding citizens in this city are the enemy. They are the enemy of the ‘Activist’ class, and, more importantly, the Political class.

If you desire social order, cleanliness, vibrant businesses, intellectual pursuits, etc. you are a capitalist pig or a racist bigot. And because of this your needs are not only ignored, but openly derided.

For the record I live in a condo on Capitol Hill. It is very small, and I worked hard for 20 years to afford it. And I’m sick of CHOP.

Mrchop
Mrchop
3 years ago

I don’t think the city realize the Pandora’s box that has been opened : free food, camping, no cops, summer weather, no school, unemployment $. You might hope they go away, but not most likely until October. I’m thinking of setting up a few tents on Airbnb,…

CHOP On
CHOP On
3 years ago

I’ve lived adjacent to CHOP for years and had plenty of sleepless nights thanks to the Rhino Room’s booming sound system, Capitol Hill Block Party, Pride events, and loud inebriated people hanging out in Cal Anderson or returning to their cars at 3am any and every night of the week. If you want to live in the densest neighborhood in Seattle and have all the bars and restaurants and events on your doorstep, you have to accept that the neighborhood doesn’t go to sleep when you do.

Paul
Paul
3 years ago
Reply to  CHOP On

People have a right to sleep and there has been no dissent about city laws regarding a quiet time of night. I remember when there was a group bemoaning complaints about the U District, saying it is an urban neighborhood etc. That all dried up as those people got into their late twenties and grew up.

Nick
Nick
3 years ago
Reply to  CHOP On

Most of your examples though are limited to weekends, or are events with a known end date. Sure, as you say once in a while you get a woo girl on a random Tuesday at 3am, but it isn’t common. I’ve lived in Pike/Pine for many years and while I definitely don’t expect perfect sleep on weekends, it’s rarely an issue on weekdays.

CHOP occurs every day and night of the week, with no end date in sight.

CHOP Adjacent
CHOP Adjacent
3 years ago
Reply to  CHOP On

I think there is a stark difference between drunk bros waiting for their Ubers on Friday/Saturday nights and what we are experiencing now with CHOP. Beyond that, if you read the letter in its entirety, there are other worries that residents have, including their safety and well-being in their homes and neighborhood.

Paul
Paul
3 years ago

Important societal issues and discussions are being lost in what has become theater by and for a small subset of whites along with a few activist POC the City over panders to. It advances nothing and is tearing up a community that many of these people do not live in. Malcom X warned us about white liberals. This has rapidly turned into a shitshow. It reminds me of the community volunteering I have done where none of these activists are ever there but they come out for things like this. Grow up Seattle, the work of change is not something like Chaz/Chop.

CHOP Neighbor
CHOP Neighbor
3 years ago

I live in affordable housing near Cal Anderson Park. We’ve lived here for almost 5 years. I am a local I grew up in the area around Seattle and move to Seattle 26 summers ago. Over the 26 years I’ve lived in this area the neighborhood has turned into a big party. It’s not surprising that CHOP has become a party zone as well as an occupied protest. I am immune compromised. I only spend a small amount of time walking out in CHOP occupied area to lessen my exposure to Covid. However I live In a unit that is very close to the ground level of Cal Anderson Park. The daytime it’s tolerable. What’s happening in Cal Anderson Park at night is a big party. It’s more populous than any Thursday through Saturday night in this neighborhood. There are sound systems that are very loud even with our doors and windows. I have asthma. The bonfire in the kitty pool and all the marijuana & cigarette smoke Coming into my apartment is very selfish of the people that are partying. I do believe there are a lot of people taking advantage of the hands off approach to the park. Do you realize we are in a state of emergency. Tents in the park is some thing I have rethought. It is not safe in the the shelters. It is far safer to be in a tent during Covid then in a shelter. I would like the organizers of CHOP to have a dialogue with the people that live in and around CHOP. I would like there to be a consensus on sound systems in the park. I cannot afford to pick up and move nor should I have to. If anybody says I don’t care about the demands of this protest I will tell you I do. The best I can do is pay attention to what’s going on during the day through Converge Media, listening to the PA system from my window and supporting people protesting. My mental health is going downhill. I have an anxiety disorder. Please talk to the neighborhood CHOP organizers. I have my own agenda against the city & mayor gassing us.

Cappy
Cappy
3 years ago

To all of you people who are saying that wealthy folk need to “check their privilege” and stop complaining: Community Lunch, a program that has been preparing and feeding meals to the homeless for decades, has moved its location at Central Lutheran Church on 11th Ave to All Pilgrims located on Broadway and Republican. Why? Because the homeless and at risk patrons and guests no longer feel safe walking through CHOP.
So, no, it’s just not the “lucky rich folk” who can afford to live in the occupied zone. It is also about 200 (average number of meals served) of our most needy and underserved neighbors. Many of whom are minorities…and “invisible.”

Eli
Eli
3 years ago
Reply to  Cappy

Interesting. Could you provide a reputable source for that information?

Their website shows that they serve both locations: https://www.communitylunch.org/volunteer

Volunteer
Volunteer
3 years ago
Reply to  Eli

This is accurate. The website is out of date. We started serving all 4 meals at Central Lutheran during covid-19, because there was a big park nearby for people to eat their meals in while maintaining social distance. But starting this past Thursday the 18th, all meals are now being served at All Pilgrims. Come down during a mealtime and ask, and have some food! :-)

John
John
3 years ago

Yeah have them move on to a sleepy suburb where families live so they can be harassed. Nah, if you lay with dogs expect to get fleas. Cap hill with all its BS ( I live here btw) deserves this mess.

Snap it up
Snap it up
3 years ago
Sheryl
Sheryl
3 years ago

Sawant and Mosqueda emboldened the protests- for instance not calling for people to show restraint with violent actions against cops, eg hurling things – and It would be good to hear their voices here about appropriate ongoing activity – eg how to protest without ruining the neighborhood for residents, etc. That is the least they could do. They could go further and lead with how to get city control of the precinct without violence – .

CD Neighbor
CD Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  Sheryl

Why would Sawant do anything – she revels in this. You do know she was one of the organizers for Occupy Seattle right? She was the driver behind installing them on the SCC campus – raving success that was…. Don’t expect her to give a rats patootie about any of the concerns of the residents. She considers you to be the enemy.

Chaz Neighbor
Chaz Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  CD Neighbor

I encourage everyone to contact her. She can choose to neglect constituents to her own electoral peril.

S
S
3 years ago

I just hope they end this damned thing before August. Our little robbery free for all zone could get a lot worse once the enhanced unemployment benefits expire. What a mess.

McCloud
McCloud
3 years ago

Co-signed, Packard Building!

I also live in an Equity Residential unit right up the street (The Pearl at 15th/Pine). We certainly aren’t as directly impacted as you unlucky folks are, but we’ve been subject to all-night parties at the 7-11 parking lot, folks living in our recycling and trash rooms, vandalization of the building, and several break-ins in the parking garage in storage units and cars.

I’m really happy that the local residents have begun speaking out about this. We’ve had complete radio silence from Equity Residential management. Many Seattle residents are afraid to speak up and ruffle any feathers, but enough is enough.

Packard
Packard
3 years ago
Reply to  McCloud

Equity corporate VPs are on site today at Packard and are having conversations with residents. They admitted to their silence and plan to be more directly in conversation.

McCloud
McCloud
3 years ago
Reply to  Packard

That’s great to hear – thanks for the update and I wish you all the best of luck going forward!

Mimi
Mimi
3 years ago

Reading these comments has made me realize that those of us who live here need to organize to get our neighborhood back. It’s clear our elected officials are not going to help us without applying tremendous pressure on them. Unlike the occupied area, I think we need a few good leaders to organize and communicate our message to the Mayor, City Council and media. Who would be candidates for this? I think a combination of business leaders and people who live here would be ideal. We need intelligent, articulate, rational people who are effective at getting things done. I’m putting the call out. Please step up if you have proven leadership skills are able to help.

Haviland
Haviland
3 years ago
Reply to  Mimi

STOP the CHOP

2CorNOT2c
2CorNOT2c
3 years ago

We suspect the Police were the problem . . . wow, really . . . sad sad society . . .

Sarah
Sarah
3 years ago

Only a matter of time before the residence in the area get fed up with CHOP and start working with the city to have it removed.

MS
MS
3 years ago

Elected officials have turned their back on the hard working people of Capitol Hill, the long time residents and business who have suffered through Covid. In favor of 500 out of town people that camp overnight and party all night long without any respect for anything. This zone is a spit in the face to BLM. The BLM is something we all welcome every day, but the cars driving around in the park, the grafitti, the armed guards, the drugs being pushed, the health inspectors being harassed, it’s got to stop. 75% of the focus is now on the occupation and BLM has turned into yesterdays news. Nice job organizers.

Paul
Paul
3 years ago
Reply to  MS

That’s how anarchists roll. City Hall can’t gather together enough brain cells to deal with this.

Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter
3 years ago

The letter states “…and [we] consistently have thousands of people congregating in the streets without masks during a global pandemic.”

That’s a LIE. Clean yr binoculars.

SeaMike01
SeaMike01
3 years ago

These creeps call everything ‘a lie’. CHOP will be a continually degrading cesspool, like Occupy Seattle, for months.

Seattle Art & Design Studio
Seattle Art & Design Studio
3 years ago

Wake up. Everyone knows all this has nothing to do with Black Lives Matter but has everything to do with the left using black people’s plight as cover for their Cultural/Marxist revolution.

Peter Piper
Peter Piper
3 years ago

All this is achieving is ensuring that Trump wins with a landslide.

SK
SK
3 years ago

Another neighbor here, Capitol Hill resident of 15 years. BLM has locally been hijacked by other agendas and bad actors who thrive on chaos, including at least 2 City Council members. I voted for the Mayor and utterly stunned and outraged that local government has traded the health and safety of my neighborhood as a pawn on both ends of of their political games. It’s disgusting and there’s now blood on their hands. I will gladly sign onto any class action suit against the City (which I love) for this epic failure.

Charles
Charles
3 years ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpAi70WWBlw&t=185s

72 yo descendent of an Irishman who fled British oppression in 1738. I live 1,742 miles away and pay $820 monthly rent for an efficiency apartment (above local average rent of $693 monthly rent). Although I cannot fully comprehend the situation, I pray for your safety and your ability to throw off the yoke of Queen Durkan. May the Lord Jesus richly bless you.

Mrs. Laura Ingraham
Mrs. Laura Ingraham
3 years ago
Reply to  Charles

I Fox News host Mrs. Laura Ingraham refer to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of “The Medical Deep State.” Charles you are a Healthcare Professional of the “United States Of America Medical Deep State” that makes Man Made Cleft Palates on Documented Footage at the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at Washington DC

Charles
Charles
3 years ago

In truth there is a medical deep state, and I commend you for telling this truth. Blessings.

Pitt
Pitt
3 years ago
Reply to  Charles

The Fact of the matter is that the Treasonous, unconstitutional Deep State or Deep KKK among the U.S.A Government are Internationally known for Torture inside the U.S.A with Sharp Sonic Attacks or weaponization of Sound to perpectuate their Cold War to massive proportions. The largest amount of Anti- Colonial , Anti – Imperial sentiment in human history world widea is because of the Deep State or Deep KKK among the U.S.A Government. Foreign Nationals and Ambassadors around the world have to admit ( because U.S.A Foreign Policy is at its extreme fascist worst now) the fact to the foreign places they work at that they promote the physical Rape of Foreigner National abroad by promoting Anti – Colonial , Anti – Imperial sentiment abroad by amplifying Socioeconomic Inequality . They are Catholic Nuns in the hundreds millions that are very vocal about their devout disdain for Treasonous, unconstitutional Deep State or Deep KKK among the U.S.A Government that are Internationally known for Torture inside the U.S.A with Sharp Sonic Attacks or weaponization of Sound.

12th Ave arts supports and provides a new shooting practice range for CHOP
12th Ave arts supports and provides a new shooting practice range for CHOP
3 years ago

There was an initial relief when the police left because I thought it would be peaceful but I have no idea why 12th AVE ARTS is issuing a statement supporting Chop at this point. There is a CHOP leader along with a person that is their super wierd version of their armed ‘police’ literally using the nook between 12th AVE ARTS behind Rachel Ginger Brew as a shooting practice range at 1am. He stands with a gun and shoots at the 12th ave arts building in the little alley.