SEATTLE—June 12 Mayor of Seattle, Jenny Durkan refers to CHOP, Capital Hill Organized Protest expanding across six blocks of Downtown Seattle as “the summer of love.” Now almost a week and a half later, one person is dead, two have suffered guns shot wounds and a woman has been sexually assaulted in a tent.
Seattle’s protest in response to the death of 46 year old George Floyd and police brutality called for CHAZ, “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” and it has recently been revised to CHOP “Capital Hill Organized Protest.”
During an interview CNN host Chris Cuomo asked mayor Durkan, “How long do you think Seattle and those few blocks look like this?”
Durkan responded with,“I don’t know, we could have a summer of love.”
Members of CHOP have changed Seattle’s Police Department to “Seattle People’s Department.” The word “Police” has been covered and has been replaced with “People.” CNN reporter on site stated that police have “abandoned ship” and that, “there is no plan of strategy for when they will return.” The protesters of CHOP have, “Established their own barricades” calling it a “police free zone.”
Resident of Seattle and protester of CHOP, Bobby Stills said, “The day can go from very serious to danger to joyous or a happy occasion. You never know who’s going to show up.” Here is a video of mid-day during the summer of love. Arson and fire works have been set a blaze at night.
June 17, a local news reporter, Brandi Kruse reporting on the scene experienced a mob of protesters demanding she leave until she eventually walked into the local fire department.
Neighbors of the area have said teargas is showing up into their apartment buildings and that, “It’s terrible to live here right now.” They are looking to “compromise” with protesters.
19-year-old Lorenzo Anderson was shot at 2:19 a.m. outside Rancho Bravo in the CHOP zone on early Saturday morning when a nurse, Alex Bennett walking her dog helped the victim, tying her sweatshirt around his arm where the wound was. She told reporters, “if the ambulance had come I think he would have been there a lot sooner.”
@DylanInSeattle on Twitter released a 911 recording. At 2:22 a.m. it was reported on the 911 call that a victim was shot.
It was reported on 2:25 a.m. that a person running with a gun.
There were rumors of an additional victim which was reported as a “33 year old victim” who we learned also suffered from a gun shot wound and is in intensive care at Harborview Medical Center.
The police arrived shortly after although the exact time is unclear on the body cam video. According to the 911 recording, they arrived on scene around 2:40 a.m. after setting up plans on how to get ahold of the victims.
When they arrived they were approached by protesters who claimed the victim “was gone” and “taken to the hospital.” It was reported that a CHOP medic took him to the hospital in a private car. The 33-year-old was also taken by a CHOP medic.
Sunday evening near Cal Anderson park around 10:08 p.m., a 17-year-old suffered a gun shot wound to the arm and was treated at the hospital. He was later released and is recovering.
During a press conference on June 11, Durkan states “We are at the forefront of change and I will not allow anyone to distract our city from the work that has to be done and will be done.” She supports the protesters at CHOP zone and their first amendment right. She says, “I will continue to meet with community to listen.”
At the press conference, Chief Carmen Best was questioned by reporters about the reasoning for teargas of which she stood by, stating, “I own that decision” after she confirmed there was a shooting earlier in the day and crowds were acting unruly.
Mayor Durkan sees this as a right to protest while Trump sees it as terrorism. She calls is patriotism and he calls is terrorism. Last week she confirmed that, “There is no imminent threat on an invasion into Seattle” and that “Protesters must feel safe when practicing their first amendment right.” She believes as opposed to bringing in the police force when the going gets tough, we should “Reimagine our response to community.”
Trump has made it very clear that he is all for “LAW & ORDER!” and “dominating the streets.”
According to reports, police have made no arrests related to the shootings. Sexual assaulter, Robert James has been arrested by Seattle Police.