Police have dispersed the Capitol Hill Occupation Protest, citing an emergency order from Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan. Durkan, who was initially content to allow the protest to remain in place, has responded to recent reports of violence in the region. Over the past few weeks, multiple shootings, some of which were fatal, occurred in the occupied zone.
The zone developed when police yielded a precinct of the Capitol Hill neighborhood to Black Lives Matter protesters. Protesters quickly used the barricades left behind by police to create the occupied zone. Initially known as the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone,” or CHAZ, it was quickly renamed to the CHOP to emphasize the protest.
“Due to ongoing violence and public safety issues in the East Precinct/Cal Anderson Park area, Mayor Jenny Durkan has issued an executive order to vacate the area. Seattle police will be in the area this morning enforcing the Mayor’s order,” the Seattle Police Department tweeted.
According to people who live in the neighbor that was occupied by the protesters, things started out good. Dustin Akers, a man who lives in an apartment in the region, tweeted about the event this morning. “And just like that, CHOP is closed,” he captioned a video he took of police dispersing protesters.
Akers spoke to reporters, saying that things started calm and positive in early June when the protest began. “It started out well intentioned and then quickly took a turn for the worse. The occupied area is now empty with tents and supplies thrown everywhere.”
According to Akers, his apartment building left a note for the protesters, claiming that tenants of the building were often unable to get to their apartment due to crowds and “lewd conduct” impeding them.
Police were still patrolling the area throughout the day on Wednesday. Some property owners in the region were pleased with the development. Property values in the region had fallen significantly as a result of the occupied zone. Those looking for pre-approval for a home loan in Capitol Hill were largely convinced to move elsewhere throughout June.
However, community leaders in the region are encouraging protesters to not give up hope. Andre Taylor, a community leader in Seattle, noted “I’ve told people here don’t be focused on the location. CHOP is not a location, it is an idea”. Originally, the intent of the protest zone was to draw awareness to social issues in the US. However, the violence in the occupied area caused Seattle’s mayor to crack down.
