As Twitchy reported earlier, an early-morning shooting in Seattle’s Capitol Hill Organized Protest, or CHOP, left a 19-year-old dead and another man injured. In its own story on the shooting, CNN wraps things up by recounting that “when CNN visited the zone last Sunday, reporters found a festival-like atmosphere, with meditation and painting.” The Associated Press and Snopes too have referred to the festival-like atmosphere and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan told CNN it could be the new summer of love there.
Socialist city council member Ksharma Sawant released a statement on the shooting, suggesting there were “indications” that the shooting was a “right-wing attack.”
Kshama Sawant releases statement on shooting at the #Seattlechophttps://t.co/E0fFCVUIM1
— MyNorthwest.com ? (@Mynorthwest) June 20, 2020
Sawant released a really lengthy statement, a part of which reads:
Our deepest condolences go out to the loved ones of the black protester who was tragically killed this morning by gunfire at the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP). Socialist Alternative and I stand in solidarity with the family and friends of the victim, and with the injured protester now in the hospital, as well as with all community members and fellow activists.
Though we await confirmation of the details of the killing, there are indications that this may have been a right-wing attack. If so, this would not be the first such attack on the Capitol Hill Black Lives Matter protest. As many recall, an armed man drove into the protest action on June 8, and shot black activist Dan Gregory, who had heroically intervened to stop the driver.
We need immediate solidarity with the protest at the CHOP, and unity in our movement against reactionary violence. Our movement refuses to be intimidated.
It is no accident that right-wing hate and violence has grown dramatically with Donald Trump in the White House. If this killing turns out to be a right-wing attack, President Trump bears direct responsibility, since he has fomented reactionary hatred specifically against the peaceful Capitol Hill occupation, and even threatened to intervene with federal troops. Also responsible are the conservative and corporate media outlets, both locally and nationally, which have themselves whipped up right-wing hate by completely misrepresenting the nature of the peaceful protest occupation, and who are continuing to do so even now, claiming that this shooting proves the CHOP is descending into chaos. Seattle’s establishment Mayor Jenny Durkan and Police Chief Carmen Best also share responsibility for having portrayed our protest movement as violent.
Durkan said it was a street fair and she even went down there herself to take a look at the community garden.
There’s a bizarre move to say that if right wing extremists did this, it somehow changes the story. It doesn’t. We know extremists exists and they’re dangerous on both sides. The issue is would this have happened with a fully functioning police station a block away? /1 of 2 https://t.co/TWQ3WtL2Eb
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) June 20, 2020
And if it would, a fully functioning precinct could have attempted a quick arrest. When you have lawlessness and no cops, bad guys take advantage. Always.
Want the park? Want the streets? I don’t care. Take em if the neighborhood wants it. But we need the police station. /2
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) June 20, 2020
It's ironic that in there, she wants the police to investigate, yet she wants to defund the police. So which is it?
— Keith (@drivingnseattle) June 20, 2020
Wondering if this would have happened if "her" group hadn't dismantled and destroyed the police station which would protect people from assaults with a deadly weapon. @KshamaSocialist @cmkshama #CHOP
— Jody L. Collins (@JodyLeeCollins2) June 20, 2020
OF COURSE she’s going to say, “it may have been a right-wing attack.” That’s so irresponsible of her to point fingers. It’s almost like she wants to keep people fighting. This chick is evil.
— Amy Jo (@WithLove_AmyJo) June 20, 2020
Bingo. And she also distorted the other shooting by a Latino man who shot out of fear and ran into the police station to escape the rioters. No white supremacist there.
— Photo_Taker (@Phototater) June 20, 2020
Is this the spokesperson for the city of Seattle now? What happened to the “love in” mayor?
— Tony Spumoni (@91110medcorps) June 20, 2020
Notice they don’t mention anything about the person who died from an OD in there.
Right wing people are chased out of there. Sawant is the evil one. She created this.
— Hanna (@Hanna_Fralley) June 20, 2020
Everyone knows Sawant is a wack job.
— Fredrico Pena (@FredricoPena) June 20, 2020
The kid who shot the protester wasn't even white. He also only shot because he was surrounded and the guy reached into his car to punch him. She is about the most unhinged person I've ever seen. She needs mental help, not continual re-election, LOL. What a piece of work.
— Photo_Taker (@Phototater) June 20, 2020
How did a right wing person get into their insane asylum? And why would anyone want to go in there?
— Just an old grandma with something to say. (@sebring1006) June 20, 2020
I can’t even believe you guys continue to write this liberal bullshit. You should be prosecuted for the rage you all are creating.
Sawant is so full of shit. She should never have opened the door to city hall. Your media outlet is full of a bunch of ignorant assholes.— Hanna (@Hanna_Fralley) June 20, 2020
Yes, she’s also the one who unlocked the doors to city hall to let the protesters take it over. It’s kind of her thing.
Related:
Protesters took over Seattle's City Hall after a councilmember unlocked the door and let them in https://t.co/lQr8we3HSm
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 10, 2020
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