Tensions were high as officers pushed protesters out of the “Capitol Hill Organized Protest”, or “CHOP” zone, early Wednesday morning, swarming the area, tearing down tents and fences, and using bike lines to move protesters out.
Demonstrators held the area, including six city blocks around an abandoned police precinct for weeks after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Protestors are demanding changes to policing in Seattle, including slashing the department’s budget in half and redirecting that money to social services.
Recent violence in the zone prompted the mayor to order police to move in Wednesday morning.
“I think it’s kinda crazy because people were in their tents and they were sleeping and to see them actually like drag people out of their tents and whatnot, it’s crazy to me because people were actually just being here peacefully,” a witness to the police action said. “But I also understand why they’re here because of the violence. So, we knew it was coming. You know what I mean? Because of that violence. So, Mayor Jenny had to do something.”
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