Sad Truth About CHAZ/CHOP Supporters

Sad Truth About CHAZ/CHOP Supporters The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ),[5] also known as Free Capitol Hill,[6][7] the Capitol Hill Organized Protest[8][9][10] and the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP),[11][12][13] is an occupation protest and self-declared autonomous zone[1] in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The zone, originally covering six city blocks and a park,[14][15] was established by George Floyd protesters on June 8, 2020 after the Seattle Police Department (SPD) vacated its East Precinct building.[2] Local governance in the zone was decentralized, with the goal of creating a neighborhood without police. On June 9, 2020, protesters demanded rent control, the reversal of gentrification, the abolition or defunding of police, funding of community health, and releasing prisoners serving time for marijuana-related offenses or resisting arrest, with expungement of their records.[16][17] Reactions to the zone varied through the political spectrum. President Donald Trump referred to the occupants as "ugly Anarchists" and called for the governor of Washington and the mayor of Seattle to "take back" the zone,[4] while Mayor Jenny Durkan on June 11 described the zone as "four blocks in Seattle that is more like a block party atmosphere. It's not an armed takeover. It's not a military junta. We will make sure that we will restore this but we have block parties and the like in this part of Seattle all the time ... there is no threat right now to the public."[18] On June 14, USA Today confirmed a festive atmosphere, comparing the protest to a miniature version of Burning Man.[19] The following week, on June 22, the Associated Press stated "[a]t night, however, the atmosphere has become more charged, with demonstrators marching and armed volunteer guards keeping watch."[20] Following the zone's founding, SPD Chief Carmen Best said that the police department was looking at different approaches to "reduce [their] footprint" in the Capitol Hill neighborhood[21] but later said that officials were working to return police officers to the precinct. She stressed the "need to have officers responding to calls in a timely fashion. And with the occupation that's taking place, we're not able to do so in a timely way."[22] On June 12, Black Lives Matter protesters were reportedly negotiating with local officials over terms for leaving the zone.[23] Four days later, the zone's roadblocks were replaced and moved,[24] allowing for emergency service vehicles to pass through and decreasing CHAZ's size to three blocks.[25] After shootings in or near the zone resulted in injuries and one death, Durkan stated that the SPD would return to the East Precinct "peacefully and in the near future".[26][27] On June 24, a statement tweeted by "Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (Official Account)" said that "the CHOP project is now concluded,"[28][29] though protesters interviewed in the zone were unaware of the announcement or of any plans to disband CHOP.[30] Multiple sources reported that, after the weekend of June 20, the zone's footprint shrank[30][31] and some occupiers left #chaz #chop #Seattle