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More arrests overnight on Capitol Hill as new battle lines form between protesters and police

There are nights of police lines and protester standoffs, explosions and pepper spray again in the core of Capitol Hill. The first night after Seattle Police and the city sweeping back in to retake the East Precinct and clear the Capitol Hill protest zone from Pike/Pine and Cal Anderson Park brought a new version of the ongoing tensions over demonstrations in the city.

The scale for now is much smaller. A crowd of dozens of protesters that began to form at Broadway and Pine’s rainbow crosswalk from the first moments after Wednesday’s early morning raid clashed with police as the overnight brought another dispersal order and then pepper spray and arrests. SPD reports another 25 people were arrested “for failure to disperse, assault, and obstructing.” The city’s ban on crowd control weapons isn’t set to take effect until later this month.

Smaller crowds also formed during the night at different points along the large perimeter police are maintaining around the precinct and park.

Other aspects of the night were familiar. The smaller crowd of dozens of protesters split at one point for the group to continue its nightly march to the West Precinct and I-5 between 520 and I-90 was also closed at one point overnight due to concerns over the demonstrators entering the freeway. UPDATE: Protesters are also said to be planning to continue nightly — and controversial — demonstrations outside Mayor Jenny Durkan’s Northeast Seattle home.

The night also brought explosions though not from the police flash bangs utilized in the large protests outside the East Precinct at 11th and Pine last month. Large fireworks were reported by nearby residents through the night, some lighting the sky above Cal Anderson while others boomed and echoed loudly off the area’s apartment buildings.

UPDATE 9:30 AM: Thursday morning just before 9:30 AM, SPD reported it was engaged in a car chase after a “possible homicide suspect” sped away from near Madison and Broadway. The suspect in a Nissan Pathfinder was chased through the streets of Capitol Hill at high speeds onto southbound I-5 with at least three SPD-involved collisions reported. The suspect reportedly ran from his vehicle on I-5 near the James exit and attempted to flee on foot but was taken into custody. Three lanes of I-5 northbound just north of the convention center were reported closed during the response. We do not yet know if the suspect is involved with either of the two deadly shootings at the CHOP.

Those protesters arrested overnight join 44 taken into custody during the SPD sweep and subsequent clashes with small groups as the area from the north end of Cal Anderson and E Pine between Broadway and 12th Ave was cordoned off and lined with police Wednesday morning. City officials have said that misdemeanor arrests during the protests should not be charged by the City Attorney’s office.

Thursday morning, small crowds were again reported in the area.

Wednesday afternoon, Mayor Jenny Durkan explained her executive order to sweep out CHOP following a wave of violence and two deadly shootings and said she would not again allow a camp to form.

“We will be guided by each situation as it presents itself,” Durkan said about the possibility of protesters returning to 12th and Pine or turning their attention to another area of the city. There will not, they said, be another “situation like Capitol Hill.”

Thee City of Seattle’s Human Services Department has also been documenting its work to provide services to the many homeless people who joined the activist camp though many campers could be seen dragging their belongings through the street in the minutes following Wednesday morning’s operation to clear the area..

SPD Chief Carmen Best told CHS  locked-down area could remain in place for days as the city cleans up the streets and Cal Anderson and SPD prepares to move back into the East Precinct headquarters at 12th and Pine. Crews were reported erecting a new chain-link barrier fence outside the building and adding new plywood.

Wednesday’s clearance was also drawing praise. Seattle Police Union head Mike Solan said he was “thankful that the reasonable Seattle citizens got their city back from the failed experiment of CHAZ/CHOP which held us all hostage with crime.” Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., the White House was also celebrating the “liberation of Seattle.”

Building residents and workers at businesses and offices inside the zone, meanwhile, are reporting some challenges in entering the area as SPD officers are sometimes asking to check identification as people pass back and forth.

Durkan said she is asking her Office of Economic Development to “see what resources we can provide as quickly as we can” to support repair, clean-up, and reopening as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. Durkan said she has also directed the City Attorney to expedite payment of any claims — though she added any claims already in court may take longer.

Meanwhile, any business now reopening as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted now face the prospect of operating inside yet a new challenge: a temporary — hopefully — Capitol Hill police zone.

UPDATE: CHS’s Justin Carder appeared Thursday morning on Converge Media’s Morning Update Show to discuss the latest developments:

 

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Paul
Paul
3 years ago

That less than 100 people can continue to try to hold an entire neighborhood hostage has surpassed absurdity. This isn’t 1968. Leave the people who have to get by and make livings and have kids alone and get off the streets. If the protesters still have a point there are other ways to pursue it. I know city council is basically Venezuela at this point and the mayor has failed miserably by pandering but things have to return to the adult world.

EW
EW
3 years ago
Reply to  Paul

I don’t feel held hostage by anyone protesting and have not felt that way at all this past month. I have kids. I have felt afraid when the police held the entire neighborhood hostage at the beginning of the month and now that they have returned and set up their enforced borders it again feels very unsafe. SPD engaging in a high speed car chase around the neighborhood that results in 3 crashes? That sounds reckless and unsafe. Given the car description and reason for pursuit, it also sounds very political. I’m sure we’ll be hearing much more about that soon.

Using this specific period of time that SPD seems to be exempt from the temporary and future bans on violent crowd control measures seems very suspicious and dangerous for the entire community and especially dangerous for the protesters.

Shuffles
Shuffles
3 years ago
Reply to  Paul

As someone who lives half a block from the chop, I feel much more on edge with the police back. The are violent, brutal, unpredictable, and lawless.
I have never felt that protestors held the neighborhood hostage in any way.
This is the adult world — we see injustice and we do something about it. Pretending they aren’t there won’t make them go away and sounds a bit… childish.

John
3 years ago

I saw that car chase on Broadway as I was out walking this morning. The driver the cops were chasing was flying up Broadway in the bike lane. Going through red lights without slowing down. What an idiot.

Richard Slaughter
Richard Slaughter
3 years ago

@Justin: Who do you think the “our” means??

CD Neighbor
CD Neighbor
3 years ago

Awesome – you are accomplishing giving sound bites to Trump and his minions, while further alienating the people who actually are trying to live their lives here. Even at almost a mile away, my sleep doesn’t appreciate the fireworks, helicopters and other disruptions. Being in the middle of all of it would be unbearable.

CD Neighbor
CD Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  CD Neighbor

oops – sorry – didn’t mean this as a reply to you Richard..

Chao
Chao
3 years ago

They don’t mean me and I’ve lived in that area for 35 years.

CH Resident
CH Resident
3 years ago

We can’t just “go back to normal” — (bad news NORMAL IS GONE) — without seeing some sort of plan for the SPD taking responsibility for what happened here, they must be demilitarized, I am sick of watching them standing around (NO MASKS ON) in full riot gear and then popping off and brutalizing whomever speaks to them in a way they don’t like. This is NOT ok. They must be held accountable for their brutality, and so far all I see is a bunch of lip service to BLM without actually making any changes. Pinning this all on the violence around CHOP is disgusting. The most violence I’ve ever seen played out when they repeatedly gassed, flash banged and shot rubber bullets at peaceful protesters. Being angry is not illegal. Jenny Durkan, Carmen Best and Kshama Sawant are all playing politics while the SPD terrorizes whomever they feel like. Come on. Nobody wants to see the violence that occurred around CHOP these past few weeks, that doesn’t mean we sanction this level of brutality and watching the SPD act like we all exist to keep them safe is absolutely infuriating. INFURIATING.

Bob Barker
Bob Barker
3 years ago
Reply to  CH Resident

The rest of the country isn’t buying your propaganda. The police aren’t evil nazis who wake up in the morning just wanting to be evil, shooting tear gas at peaceful protesters for fun. We’re not buying it. There’s a REASON why tear gas and rubber bullets are used. They’re used for crowd control, utilized when your crowds have become unruly and a threat to the city. Thousands of peaceful protests happen every year where the police feel zero need to tear gas them. The difference here being YOU, not the police, YOU’RE rejecting rule of law and turning to anarchy and then screaming when there’s consequences to your actions. Welcome to the real world.

Nobody besides insane left leaning people are buying your story of events. You can post as many videos of cops using tear gas as you want, those videos never show any context of WHY they’re using tear gas, and what you did to promote that response. Those videos aren’t evidence of police brutality.

RWK
RWK
3 years ago
Reply to  Bob Barker

Thank you, Bob. People like CH Resident like to blame everything on the police, and not admit that provocative and even violent protesters are part of the problem.

stan
stan
3 years ago
Reply to  CH Resident

“Pinning this all on the violence around CHOP is disgusting.”

Does your statement include armed CHOP members murdering a black teenager Monday morning? That video I saw of their attack seemed pretty violent to me. Before the deaths of two black teens, and another two shot and sent to the hospital, nobody was saying the CHOP was violent. But it turned that way quickly. If this is what “community policing” looks like, then, no thank you.

CHOP stopped being about anything other than Occupy Seattle 2.0, and its accompanying lawlessness, weeks ago. It was a magnet for criminals and criminal behavior. Time to move on to more productive means of protest/change.

joe
joe
3 years ago
Reply to  stan

The CHOP did go down hill in a hurry. But the statement about nobody saying CHOP was violent before the deaths is not true. Lots of people were. The police chief was spreading lies that CHAZ was extorting businesses. Fox News was altering photos to make it look more violent. All of them wanted to create the image of a lawless area with the hopes that it would soon turn into one.

ballardite
ballardite
3 years ago
Reply to  CH Resident

What’s infuriating to me is the CHOP protesters have not said anything or done any tribute for the two young boys who died. That is disgusting.

EW
EW
3 years ago
Reply to  ballardite

1) that’s simply not true
2) I’d love to here what you did as a tribute
3) “the protesters” at this point is the same as saying “Antifa” or “vegetarians” or “people who don’t listen to country music” etc etc. “The protestors” is a broad, fluid group of people that has been evolving for about a month under some pretty extreme circumstances.
4) It’s obvious the people who are watching, experiencing and processing this movement from a place of judgement, detachment or distance really want it to function like an organization and not a protest. When I’ve talked to people who say how the protest should be or what they should be doing, the motivations so far that I’ve heard have been grounded in bias, selfishness and sometimes simple misunderstandings and/or ignorance about what’s happening.

ballardite
ballardite
3 years ago
Reply to  CH Resident

Oh and the changes you want will take time – years. Defunding will not mean anarchy. We will have and need police in one form or another and I predict it will require more spending – not less. Defunding means adding things like mental health professionals for crisis calls. That is adding personnel and adding training – it costs more. And this requires a restructuring and rethinking which takes time – lots of it. You could do more to help by writing your legislators or getting involved with groups who push for changes.

Drew Everett
Drew Everett
3 years ago
Reply to  CH Resident

@CH Resident

How are you upset that CHOP happened when your politicians are the ones that prevented the police from preventing this situation?? You make no sense! If they were allowed to do their job then your city wouldn’t be flushing hundreds of millions down the toilet for no fucking reason. Smooth move assholes!

YesNoMaybe
YesNoMaybe
3 years ago
Reply to  CH Resident

“popping off and brutalizing whomever speaks to them in a way they don’t like”. Last night I tuned into a FB stream coming from the front line between the protesters and the SPD on Broadway. Within just a couple of minutes, and among all the other protesters aggressively shouting obscenities and insults at the police, there was one women up front who was very loudly screaming the name (first initial, last name) of the officer directly in front of her, and then went on screaming that she was going to “find out where” he “lays his head at night” and that she was going to “stomp on” his wife, his children, and his family. She went on like that for several minutes. Blatantly threatening him, his family, and other officers. The SPD ignored her, although it was easily a crime that they could have arrested her for. Additionally, that one cop has good reason to worry about his family’s safety. From what I have seen, this seems to be perfectly acceptable behavior from many protesters. Not peaceful protesters.

Any rational-minded person can determine that all cops are not bad and that they have a tough job to perform, especially now with seemingly endless amounts of aggressive protesters up in their face. I am in strong agreement that reforms need to happen to policing across the nation, but this current narrative that “all cops are bad/evil” and that they can be endlessly provoked is like a form of mass psychosis. It reminds me a lot of the extreme right Trumpers with their misinformation and detachment from reality. Although to their credit, I don’t see them physically attacking people and property en masse for weeks on end. I can only hope that level-headed and rationally-based outcomes prevail.

Tom
Tom
3 years ago
Reply to  YesNoMaybe

The wife and children of that cop probably have more reasons to be scared of her husband and their father than that protester considering many cops are abusers at home.

RWK
RWK
3 years ago
Reply to  YesNoMaybe

: cheap shot. Please provide statistical evidence that “many cops are abusers at home.”

Mrchop
Mrchop
3 years ago

Just when do we get a full account of the shooting of the two young guys ? Some seem to say they were basically shot in the back on the street by the Chaz militia – maybe to cover up who fired the 300 bullets into the car…

Chao
Chao
3 years ago
Reply to  Mrchop

I’m with you. The blase attitude about these murders is truly disturbing. I can walk through chop and see the names of young black people killed by whites in other states graffitied all over the place. But the two young black people who died and the four(?) others who were shot we hear no real clarity on what happened and people don’t seem overly concerned that nobody maybe arrested.

Mimi
Mimi
3 years ago
Reply to  Chao

The problem is that we are not allowed to have an open, honest, nuanced conversation about what took place here the last month. Each side is completely entrenched in their views and unwilling to look at the complexities the situation.

These protests were launched by the murder of George Floyd, which I think any sane, compassionate person would acknowledge was an atrocity. Likewise, the deaths of the two black teens in CHOP are also a tragedy and deserve attention as well. It troubles me how those murders are being swept under the rug. When I talk about it with people I know who are active in the protests they rationalize or diminish those deaths by saying things like “They didn’t happen in CHOP”. IMO, that is deflecting and splitting hairs. If someone is killed half a block away from the road barriers of CHOP I think it is fair to say it is related to CHOP.

Another response I have been given is that the death of the 16 year old in the jeep was justified because the shooters were defending CHOP. To me, that means that due process is not required if the killer is on your “side”. It completely defies logic and if people honestly feel that way, they do not truly believe in justice.

I want to know, when people say Black Lives Matter, does that truly mean ALL Black lives? Does the life of Lorenzo Anderson matter? Does the life of Antonio Mays, Jr. matter?

And for the record, I have always considered myself a Progressive. Having a front row seat to all of this has led me to looking below the surface and asking deeper questions. I wish we could have an honest, open conversation about all this.

stan
stan
3 years ago
Reply to  Chao

I’m with you, @Mimi. I’m frustrated by the CHOP apologists that want to invoke BLM for everything but the deaths (and hospitalizations) of black men/teen boys in the CHOP. To say that they didn’t happen in CHOP is false. My understanding is that the first death happened at 10th & Pine and the other, this past Monday, on 12th at the barrier outside of the East Precinct. Those are CHOP, doesn’t have to be in the middle of Cal Anderson to be in the CHOP.

As to the excuse that the shooters were defending CHOP; then why haven’t the come forward? If it was complete self-defense, come forward with evidence and there’s nothing to fear. But I don’t think that’s the case, which is why the apologists are just trying to bury this so it goes away. Wouldn’t look good to find out that some hot-headed, gun-toting, wannabe macho, leftist lunatic was an integral part of CHOP and took it onto themselves to dispense their own justice; without any evidence to boot. It’s no better than a cop shooting someone because they’re sure the suspect did it.

There needs to be answers and hopefully the police can gather enough evidence to provide them. But I’m not holding my breath for CHOP to respond or for any other news media, like The Stranger, to dig any further into this. It doesn’t align with the “all cops bad/progressives always good” narrative. If we don’t continue to call attention to the life of Antonio Mays, Jr. I’m afraid he’ll end up just another statistic. But one caused by the “movement” not racism.

Glenn
Glenn
3 years ago
Reply to  Chao

Tom,

Have any of the people present at the shooting of those boys come forward to help the police identify the shooters? I am sure there were quite a few witnesses. Why don’t they come forward so people can learn what actually happened and determine if self defense or other circumstances were justified? Right now it just seems like an execution and a cover up.

Tom
Tom
3 years ago
Reply to  Chao

Glenn, how do you know nobody has stepped forward to help but that their information was either inaccurate and unhelpful, just like many eyewitnesses in other crimes?

csy
csy
3 years ago
Reply to  Chao

>>> ” When I talk about it with people I know who are active in the protests they rationalize or diminish those deaths by saying things like “They didn’t happen in CHOP”.”

My response to them: “George Floyd’s death didn’t happen in CHOP, either — just sayin’.”

Emily Chen
Emily Chen
3 years ago
Reply to  Mrchop

Err, after beating up a man and highjacking his car and driving it in to the park. I am definitely interested in hearing the truth, but I don’t trust the SPD to give us a straight answer either. Regardless based on the recent drive-by shootings and people plowing in to protesters with cars, driving in the park was a fucking stupid thing to do and would understandably make anybody think the goal was murder. It’s really unfortunate that they were just kids, probably just being stupid, but fuck what were they thinking.

Mrchop
Mrchop
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily Chen

Expanding this logic : car was heading down the bike lane this AM on broadway chased by police. Cops should just have fired a few 100 rounds into it. Doesn’t matter who is inside, if they are armed etc. just kill anyone who drives recklessly?

Then if they are still alive make sure to finish them off…

CD Neighbor
CD Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily Chen

Wow… you are really willing to give the CHOP vigilantes a pass on (allegedly) killing a teenager and putting a child in the hospital in critical condition? Hypocritical much? or are you going to try to tell us all, with a straight face, that if it had been the police that had put 300 bullets into that car that you’d have been fine with it because:
“driving in the park was a fucking stupid thing to do and would understandably make anybody think the goal was murder. It’s really unfortunate that they were just kids, probably just being stupid, but fuck what were they thinking.”

Alrighty then…

Mimi
Mimi
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily Chen

Emily, yes, it those are truly the facts then the behavior of the teens in the jeep was criminal. However, people in this country are not given the death penalty for those crimes. Antonio Mays, Jr. received the death penalty without due process. If you think that is OK or acceptable than you do not believe in justice. I for one, do not want to live in a society where people (police or anyone else) is allowed to shoot and kill someone suspected of a crime without due process.

Paul
Paul
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily Chen

CHOP quickly became about the anarchy and police abolitionist movements. Throw in some uncontrollable characters with guns and it very quickly had nothing to do with black lives mattering.

Tom
Tom
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily Chen

The only time the right wingers here seem to want gun control or care about dead Black teens is when someone from the opposite side did the harm.

stan
stan
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily Chen

It could also be said that: the only time some “progressives” want gun control or care about dead Black teens is when someone from the opposite side did the harm. Because there are a lot of progressives with their lips sealed tight about the murder of Antonio Mays, Jr.

Maybe stop trying to distract from the questions and outrage and help shed some light on why “peaceful protesters” unloaded on a vehicle that they had no evidence committed any crime.

ballardite
ballardite
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily Chen

Where is the outcry by the CHAZ protesters for the two kids that died? They are strangely silent.

Tom
Tom
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily Chen

stan, did all the protesters there fire on the vehicle or do you just want to think all of them did?

stan
stan
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily Chen

Did I say all of them? Stop with the red herrings. I get that the life of Antonio Mays, Jr. doesn’t mean anything to you. Maybe check your privilege of only supporting black lives when it fits your narrative.

csy
csy
3 years ago
Reply to  Emily Chen

>> – “Where is the outcry by the CHAZ protesters for the two kids that died? They are strangely silent.”

Well, you know what they say:

“SILENCE = VIOLENCE”

SpeakingTruth
SpeakingTruth
3 years ago

Histrionic crowd. Wanting a drama that is of their own internal creation. “Get off his neck” was called as the obstructive man was arrested. Looking at the video, his head was up and moving. Clearly not on his neck. A pitiful attempt at a false narrative. Go back to mom and dad’s bedroom kiddies.

Those of us who live here want our city and streets back.

Adrienne Weller
Adrienne Weller
3 years ago

DEFEND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST

Demand the resignations of Seattle Mayor Durkan and Police Chief Best and establish an elected civilian review board over the cops

On Wednesday, July 1, police forcibly removed the remaining occupants of the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) in Seattle, arresting at least 31 people in the process. CHOP, earlier called the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone or CHAZ, sprang up after the city abandoned the neighborhood’s East Police Precinct in June.

The clearing of CHOP came one day after Mayor Jenny Durkan called for an investigation of socialist Seattle Councilmember Kshama Sawant, a vocal defender of racial justice protesters, with an eye to expelling Sawant from the council.

So, at the same time that Durkan ordered the crackdown on Seattle’s most visible manifestation of protest in the streets, she also launched a campaign to get rid of Sawant, the most prominent face of the protest on the city council, for “disorderly or otherwise contemptuous behavior.” But this redbaiting, anti-communist maneuver has as much to do with Sawant’s overall politics and persistent attempts to increase taxes on Amazon and Seattle’s other biggest businesses as it does with her support for Black Lives Matter.

The Freedom Socialist Party (FSP) and Radical Women (RW), which have been active in the Black lives protests from the start, call for an end to the political attack on Sawant, the resignations of Durkan and Best, and the creation of an elected civilian review board, partnered with an independent prosecutor, with real power to discipline or fire abusive cops.

Like hundreds of cities around the country, Seattle erupted in marches and rallies after the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. From the first night, peaceful demonstrations were met with violence by law enforcement using repeated rounds of tear gas, pepper spray, flash-bang grenades and more. Nightly protests soon focused on the East Precinct, and city officials quickly called in the National Guard and other area police forces. Each night after the 11:00 p.m. news, a police riot would resume with a full barrage of chemical weapons as thousands of protesters faced off against officers — even after Mayor Durkan and Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said that police would no longer use tear gas.

Suddenly, on June 8, the Seattle Police Department abandoned the East Precinct, and the area ultimately known as CHOP grew up around it. Tents sprung up on the sidewalks and in Cal Anderson Park and rallies and speak-outs took place daily.

CHOP formed out of a passionate commitment to the ideas that Black lives matter and cop violence must be stopped, but it had no accountable, democratically chosen leadership or agreed-upon program. It also suffered from a lack of effective collaboration from residents and small businesses in the neighborhood it had taken over.

Then, over a period of nine days starting on June 20, five shootings in or near the zone resulted in the deaths of two Black teenagers, with cops and Fire Department medics unwilling or unable to intervene in the face of protesters’ resistance to police. Support began to drain away from the project and people started to leave, opening the road for Durkan and Best to implement the eviction.

In addition to calling for the resignations of Durkan and Best, hands off Sawant, and an elected civilian review board, FSP and RW make these demands: Slash the Seattle Police Department by at least 50 percent, with the money redirected to social needs; disarm the cops and recall their military hardware; expel police unions from the AFL-CIO; and free all Black Lives Matter protesters, including those arrested during the CHOP sweep.

FSP and RW stand for a democratic, working-class united front to defend Black lives and for an end to racism and all forms of oppression through socialist revolution.

Issued by Freedom Socialist Party and Radical Women
New Freeway Hall, 5018 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98118
[email protected] • 206-722-2453 • facebook.com/FSPSeattle
[email protected] • 206-722-6057 • radicalwomen.org • facebook.com/RWSeattle

Mrchop
Mrchop
3 years ago

As above, it came one day after the shooting of two kids and cover up of evidence by chop folks.

Alex S.
Alex S.
3 years ago

Socialist are always so cute with all their posters, statements and demands

Dan
Dan
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

Alex S. – Yep, socialists are truly disgusting people, and I do not say that lightly. They take on that ideology KNOWING that the implementation has led to the deaths of hundreds of millions and untold suffering in the 20th century.

Tom
Tom
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

Dan, do you call the military industrial complex socialist since it takes $1 trillion handout a year from the government? Is more affordable health care disgusting too?

It is always so cute to see right wingers paint socialism in broad strokes.

Fairly Obvious
Fairly Obvious
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex S.

Alex S. – Yep, socialists are truly disgusting people, and I do not say that lightly. They take on that ideology KNOWING that the implementation has led to the deaths of hundreds of millions and untold suffering in the 20th century.

Oh yeah, all those European countries, especially the Scandinavian ones are just dying left and right due to all the SOCIALISMZ. Meanwhile, in America, with all our freedomz and Capitalismz, nobody ever dies due to lack of food, clothing, shelter, medical care, etc.

Oh, you were referring to the brutal, authoritarian, fascist dictatorships that call themselves socialist, if only to fool the most gullible of people?

Carry on then!

stan
stan
3 years ago

DEFEND THE MEMORY OF ANTONIO MAYS, JR.! You still have the right to protest; just not occupy the streets. Antonio Mays, Jr. lost all his rights when armed CHOP occupiers murdered him Monday, June 29th. Black Lives Matter, Adrienne. Find the person who killed Antonio Mays, Jr. and check your privilege!

ballardite
ballardite
3 years ago

Defund Freedom Socialist Party

CD Neighbor
CD Neighbor
3 years ago

FYI- the First Amendment does not give you carte blanche to do whatever you want to and call it a protest…. There is NO right to block streets, block sidewalks, camp in parks, vandalize public and private property, create excessive noise during quiet hours, block access to government buildings or interfere with other purposes the property was designed for and so on and so forth…

Had you gathered in Cal Anderson daily and closed it down by 10pm you could have said your piece, could still be there saying it today and could have continued for as long as you wished. Protesters here were given a lot of leeway, but you all weren’t satisfied with that and took it too far beyond what’s actually allowable and what the residents were willing to tolerate, for too long.

The First Amendment does not provide the right to conduct an assembly at which there is a clear and present danger of riot, disorder, or interference with traffic on public streets, or other immediate threat to public safety or order. Jones v. Parmley, 465 F.3d 46, 56–57 (2d Cir. 2006)

ballardite
ballardite
3 years ago
Reply to  CD Neighbor

Amen! Thank you.

Tom
Tom
3 years ago
Reply to  CD Neighbor

This country was founded on illegal protests.

Republicans also support Hong Kong people for protesting against a regime they oppose.

CD Neighbor
CD Neighbor
3 years ago
Reply to  Tom

If you want to call it a revolution then be prepared to own it – don’t go crying about rights you don’t even have when laws are actually enforced and certainly don’t expect the rest of us to just let you have your way.

You’ll note that a lot of leeway was given at first – until you all completely and totally alienated the people trying to live around you. Revolutions without the support of the populace are doomed to failure.

Alex S.
Alex S.
3 years ago

Looking at the names of people arrested overnight on the King County Jail Inmate Lookup Service, it sure looks like the CHOP devolved into a white people’s paradise.

CH warzone
CH warzone
3 years ago

When did it become legal for a private security member to open carry and MURDER someone in Pike/Pine? not CHOP. I refuse to call it that. Pike/Pine and it is thrashed. I am so pissed off. Fuck CHOP. Arrest the rest of them.

Eli
Eli
3 years ago

I miss the good old days when we could just argue about the number of off-street parking spaces in new yuppie buildings.

Fairly Obvious
Fairly Obvious
3 years ago
Reply to  Eli

MyNorthwest closed their comment section and the rats fled the sinking ship.

Neighborhood blogs with open commenting policies were easy places for them to spread their knuckle-dragging drivel to.

Eli
Eli
3 years ago
Reply to  Fairly Obvious

Oh! Was wondering where everyone came from.

d4l3d
d4l3d
3 years ago
Reply to  Fairly Obvious

As with Eli, thanks. I’d wondered what prompted the sudden CHS climate change.

Eli
Eli
3 years ago

P.S. Justin, congrats on being quoted in Vox this morning. I thought you had some great quotes.

CD res
CD res
3 years ago

I am so over self-important White anarchists who think everything is about them, even the fight for Black equality.

GG Palin
GG Palin
3 years ago

The right wing comments on this thread are pure degeneracy…it’s like Florida collapsed into a chud singularity and just popped out of existence…and the residents all moved into the Capitol Hill Blog…

Reeeeeeeee
Reeeeeeeee
3 years ago
Reply to  GG Palin

Exactly. The brigading from right wing trolls has been so bad lately. I wish Justin would just close the comment section. If an article about a new pizza place opening gets posted we don’t need to hear the same 10 trolls that don’t live in D3 screeching about Sawant.

Eli
Eli
3 years ago
Reply to  Reeeeeeeee

In my ideal universe (easy to say when I’m not doing the work and have no firsthand domain knowledge), I think it would be awesome to have a comments tool with:

1. A code of conduct
2. Some notion of individual identity / no “anonymous” posts
3. Active use of bans for people who violate the code of conduct.

I imagine there are people who’d be happy to volunteer to moderate. (I certainly would.)

RWK
RWK
3 years ago
Reply to  Reeeeeeeee

Nice try, blaming anti-Sawant comments on “outsiders.” The fact is that many Sawant critics live in D3, as evidenced by the results of the last election, which Egan Orion would have won if it wasn’t for the unfortunate, last-minute infusion of Sawant cash by Amazon.

Capitalism funds propaganda
Capitalism funds propaganda
3 years ago
Reply to  GG Palin

Knudson

You know Bob, a lot of people are getting paid for rage posting about progressive taxes, Sawant, or anything anti Amazon/big business. Have you thought about making a little extra walking around money? Join the brigade! No need to spend all your entire day shilling for free!

RWK
RWK
3 years ago

Your claim is very, very doubtful.

Distracted
Distracted
3 years ago

Election in umm 4 months, could change everything. What to do to support Biden ? I know create an anarchy camp in Seattle and start shooting each other. Trumps press sec lead briefing this morning with Seattle needing law and order.

Paul
Paul
3 years ago
Reply to  Distracted

Apparently they see it as “energizing their base.” Too bad that base is about a sliver of the voting public. I’ve read all the twitter traffic about politics regardless of political orientation represents less than 8% of people. But I’d love to know just who Jenny Durkan is playing to when she panders so visibly to the protesters in public statements and doesn’t want any of them to be in jail.

Carrie
Carrie
3 years ago
Reply to  Paul

When Republicans stop electing QAnon conspiracy theorists who believe Democrats are operating child sex trafficking rings out of pizza parlors and keeping underground mole people waiting to be freed by Trump, you can start lecturing Democrats about the beliefs within their party. Until then, maybe focus on managing your own house.

BK
BK
3 years ago
Reply to  Distracted

Buden? The guy who authored the 1994 Crime Bill that ramped up incarcerations in poor and poc communities? He’s the solution? HRC coined the term “super predators”, she was the solution but couldn’t beat one of the most despicable people to ever run. Pelosi wouldn’t even entertain Jayapal’s Paycheck Guarantee Act keeping people employed by propping up smaller businesses. Instead the Dems voted (all of them)with the GOP handing $450B to $4.5 Trillion to the wealthiest, least needy corporations while the average American got a one time $1200 payment. People could have continued to get a paycheck preventing this massive homeless issue we will enter once the moratorium on evictions is lifted. The paperwork has been filed in the courts and millions will be looking for places to live in the near future. No job, no savings, no residence. Instead the Dems handed Trump a huge win and the other day he already boasted about the greatest employment numbers ever as our economy began to open up. Trump needs to go but Biden and the Dems leadership are always on the wrong side. The Dem leaders would rather have Trump than Sanders in the White House. Get past the Trump is an idiot argument, he’s not. There are good, rational people who run for office, our energy needs to find them and help get them in office.

Danny
Danny
3 years ago

So sick of the protests. It’s no longer about BLM or anything as far as I can tell. They are just alienating anyone who lives on the Hill.

My kids and I need to get some sleep and it’s not the SPD creating chaos every night.