First things first: Apparently the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, or CHAZ, is now the Capitol Hill Ongoing Protest, or CHOP. The residents of CHOP had already staked out their territory by managing to drive the police out of their precinct and erecting barricades around their autonomous zone, and now Brandi Kruse of Q13 Fox News is reporting that they’re adding wood around the concrete barriers so that people can decorate them. In other words, the concrete barriers aren’t going anywhere soon.
The addition of concrete barriers in #CHOP this morning is actually very significant for a couple reasons.
1) This is a clear sign that the city is letting protesters stay long term. They are specifically adding wood around concrete barriers for people to decorate. pic.twitter.com/KDsQFbW8Ua
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) June 16, 2020
2) Barriers help prevent cars from driving into protesters (a very real threat as we have already seen), while still allowing a lane of travel for emergency responders. pic.twitter.com/qz7HYVr21F
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) June 16, 2020
If they’re truly autonomous, why do they need to allow access to external emergency responders? It was pretty ironic that on the first or second day of their occupation they had to call in the fire department to put out a literal dumpster fire.
3) This is an important step toward coexistence and the fact protesters are on board is important. The city is giving them increased safety, in exchange for increased access. People live and work in the #CHOP zone and they deserve emergency services. #Q13FOX pic.twitter.com/0QDyaTsbnV
— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) June 16, 2020
And again we ask: Did the people who live and work in the CHOP zone have any say in being annexed by a bunch of extremist protesters? Why are we not impressed with this “important step toward coexistence” with the city helping out?
Of COURSE they are!
— SargentSchultz (@bjchar) June 16, 2020
I predicted when this started this will never go away@MayorJenny's policies always reward criminal behaviors. It would be inconsistent with her known, verifiable tactics to put any limits on any group that adds to her party's power. She cannot afford to let Antifastan fail.
— Todd Ξ Herman (@toddeherman) June 16, 2020
Is that a big, beautiful WALL they are building?
— Quarantining from Looting (@TriBeCaDad) June 16, 2020
So now they’re in favor of building a wall?!
— Dom Marcos (@DomPedro4ever) June 16, 2020
This disturbs me on so many levels.
— Stacia Stone-Foster (@StaciaStone) June 16, 2020
Property owners should sue the city
— Steve Morin (@edesignerz2) June 16, 2020
If I owned property in that area I’d sue the city.
— charity (@charitabee) June 16, 2020
Hi, I suspect there will be a group lawsuit once things settle down. They'll sue the city, county and some individuals. I'll bet there are teams of lawyers already preparing.
— Randy Hayward (@ranline) June 16, 2020
The lawsuits against the city of Seattle will bankrupt'em. Kinda sucks Seattle seemed like a pretty cool place.
— Cheese (@lordcheese40) June 16, 2020
On a side note: How's the real estate market in Chaz?
— LaMar (@LaMar87235074) June 16, 2020
Where is the permit to build?
— Aunt (@JuneAunt) June 16, 2020
Have they done an EPA ecological impact study? Do they have a land use permit?
— Errrrrrrrrrr (@ElliotR) June 16, 2020
The photos clearly show SDOT wokers installing them.
— Kurt R. ⭐️⭐️ (@kurtricketts) June 16, 2020
The city is allowing this but a guy can't build a shed in his back yard without a permit? Ok seems reasonable
— Andrew Blankenship (@ABlanken87) June 16, 2020
They have not passed any due process land-use regulations or city ordinances that would allow this (re: barricading an entire area of a city, preventing vehicle access entirely for residents and businesses).
I own property there, it is unusable due to the occupation.
— PNWForestKing (@PNWForestKing) June 16, 2020
This is turning into a farce.
— CLeigh ?? (@MyAndPerSeAnd1) June 16, 2020
This movement is such a farce, unbelievable.
— WaywardRobot (@Wayward_Robot) June 16, 2020
This is no different than when my son was 4, pitching a tent in the back yard, to go camping in the "wild" alone, but asking me to bring substanence, blankets, coming inside to use the bathroom, or when spooked. He knew was pretending. These are alleged adults, thinking is real.
— Rob Heatherly (@RobHeatherly1) June 16, 2020
They will be allowed to stay until November 3.
— Josh_Seattle (@CreamsikleNW) June 16, 2020
I'm excited for the decorating to begin
— Andrew Davenport (@AndrewDav18) June 16, 2020
Decorate is a generous term.
— Johnny James Reckhauser (@reckhauser) June 16, 2020
They seem to have already used up all of the wall space inside CHOP with graffiti like, “Kill pigs: Eat bacon for brekkie.”
Aww so cute. They get to decorate. Just what they need, more spots to spray paint.
— JCoulter (@jcoulterbrown) June 16, 2020
Give them something to draw on – it's the same tactic I use with my 2 year old kid when I need to occupy him for a few minutes.
— Zack (@sandls816) June 16, 2020
This is nuts.
— Jim Lovett (@MrBiggerJim) June 16, 2020
It's capitulation to criminal behavior. It will eliminate law and order within and erode law and order outside. Appeasement NEVER ends well.
— Agent (@TheAgentSmithV3) June 16, 2020
Well said
— Hurst78 (@Hurst78) June 16, 2020
Cool, another reason to move out of Seattle. Hope other people do the same and the tax base drops out.
— Aaron Countryman ?? (@ocmano) June 16, 2020
This is disturbing and a very terrible idea.
— Yushi (@YuriSheba) June 16, 2020
If they want to stay another day they need to pay each and every privately owned homeowner and business owner in the occupied zone far in excess of the market value of their home or business, or be removed via force. Enough is enough. This is criminal.
— Phil (@philllosoraptor) June 16, 2020
Are they going made to pay taxes for using this area? Just like we normal and hard working citizens have to pay property tax every year? Or do they get to live there for free?
— Britney lee (@Britney89897756) June 16, 2020
Your tax dollars at work!
— randy berry (@RBtw33ts) June 16, 2020
It’s pretty obvious that Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan is going to assist however she can with the “summer of love” going on, and Gov. Jay Inslee has proved to be clueless about the whole thing.
* * *
Update:
Apparently the concrete barriers being placed by the Seattle Department of Transportation were not to the liking of CHOP leadership:
SDOT got chased off just now. Protesters started feeling like the barriers are not what they envisioned or agreed to and they want a new plan. Fire Chief Scoggins came out to see what is the issue, we’ll be hearing from him this afternoon. #Q13FOX #CHOP pic.twitter.com/3ED73sWpFJ
— Simone Del Rosario (@SimoneReports) June 16, 2020
Related:
CHAZ now defended by 'armed community patrols' which sounds remarkably similar to what the police do https://t.co/IdQS8HvWHF
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 14, 2020