THE ZONE SEEMS TO BE DYING A NATURAL DEATH

by Bob Walsh

That lawless section of Capitol Hill in Seattle known as The Zone seems to be dying of its own accord.  "The Authorities" went in yesterday and started removing the street barriers with little or no objection from the denizens of The Zone.  As far as I know the cops have not reoccupied the cop shop yet, but that will come.  Eventually.

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: Not so fast there, Bob.

 

CHOP avoids the chop: Defiant occupants of Seattle's cop-free zone rebuild barricades and fortify their compound just MINUTES after the city attempted to reclaim the 'war zone'   

 

Daily Mail

June 30, 2020

 

Protesters at Seattle's 'occupied' protest zone rebuilt barricades just minutes after the city tore them down Tuesday following two fatal shootings in the area. 

Demonstrators have occupied several blocks around the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct and a park for about two weeks. Police had abandoned the precinct following clashes with protesters calling for an end to police brutality. 

But by Tuesday morning crews were working to pull down the barriers. A handwashing station was also removed after concrete barricades were cleared by Seattle Department of Transportation workers at the intersection of 10th Ave. and Pine St.

Protesters were then filmed lining up plastic barriers, couches and trash cans in attempt to replace the blocks. DailyMail.com has contacted both the police and the Mayor's office on how they plan to deal with the area going forward.

City employees were seen handing out flyers to the campers at nearby the Cal Anderson Park telling them they had to be out of the park by noon today. They also provided numbers and information about finding shelter. 

The apparent move to dismantle parts of the area follows the shooting death of the unidentified 16-year-old boy in the early hours of Monday morning. A 14-year-old was also critically injured when eyewitnesses say armed security inside the zone fired 300 rounds. 

   

Volunteer medic Marty Jackson had described the area as an 'active war zone' and said: 'I don't think we're gonna stop here.'  

He told KUOW it was CHOP's own armed security who fired at the car driven by the teen after it crashed into a barrier, killing him and critically wounding the 14-year-old. 

Warning people not to come to the CHOP zone, Jackson added: 'Because now it's like pretty much an active war zone. Now you have security and medical always looking around waiting to see the next.'

City workers on Friday tried to remove makeshift barriers erected around the area but stopped their work after demonstrators objected. 

Seattle Department of Transportation Director Sam Zimbabwe said the city was not expecting to clear out the barriers in front of Seattle police's East Precinct on Tuesday.

 

But despite what the city officials have said about clearing out more concrete barriers, protesters are mobilizing just in case.

A CHOP security person who refused to give his name told DailyMail.com exclusively: 'We are getting ready for anything. We don't trust the city or the police. If they try to come back and remove more barriers they are going to get pissed off of us.'