The Seattle ZAD has lived. Police deployed on Wednesday 1er July, in the self-proclaimed district of "CHAZ" or "CHOP", acronyms of "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" and "Capitol Hill Occupied Protest", by the protesters.
This “autonomous zone” was created within this trendy district as part of the national wave of demonstrations against police violence and racism which followed the death of George Floyd, in Minneapolis.
The occupation of the area for the past three weeks by overwhelmingly peaceful protesters has greatly irritated President Donald Trump, who had threatened to use force against those he called "Awful anarchists" and "Interior terrorists".
City authorities' decision
But it was ultimately the Democratic Mayor of Seattle, Jenny Durkan, who took the initiative to evacuate the protesters, assuring that the city had sufficiently offered protesters the right to voice their opinion.
This freedom of expression "Does not impose on the city to offer an unlimited sanctuary resulting in the occupation of public property, damage to the city and private property, attacks on the right to move and the creation of dangerous conditions", justified the mayor. The thousands of people who used to gather there to listen to political speeches in a festive atmosphere have disappeared, as have improvised health centers or food distribution tents.
The city's mayor has banned rallies around a police station and Cal-Anderson Park, local police chief Carmen Best said in a statement. The police station had been abandoned several weeks ago, following clashes between police officers and demonstrators who denounced the death of George Floyd.
" Enough is enough ", for its part, reacted Mme Best, recalling that the area had been the scene of gunfire. "Our job is to support peaceful protests, but what has happened on these streets in the past two weeks is illegal, brutal and unacceptable. "
Police have cleared #CHOP to Pike @ KING5Seattle https://t.co/0GUSkZkFA0
Police in riot gear intervened at dawn, evacuating six blocks from the affected buildings. In the morning, they dismantled the tents and barricades erected in the neighborhood. At least thirty one people have been arrested, including for refusing to comply, assault or possession of a cold weapon, police in this metropolitan area in the northwest of the United States reported.
Police said they were intervening to protect the public after mayor Jenny Durkan ordered protesters to leave. "Since the protests started in the East Precinct area on June 8, two teenagers have been killed and three people have been seriously injured in late shootings"said the Seattle Police Department on Twitter.
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