Tag: Seattle

Posted on by — Leave a comment

#Seattle, #WA: #CHAZ / #CHOP Analysis – Glimmers of Hope, Failures of the Left

Seattle. WA. Out of the national uprising in protest of the racist police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis emerged a movement occupied space of 8-10 blocks in the Seattle neighborhood of Capitol Hill. The space began “as an accident” when on the evening of June 7 a man drove drove into the protests and shot a demonstrator. Quickly the crowds set up barricades at several intersections and an occupy style encampment emerged as the the mayor ordered the evacuation of the East Precinct police statement encompassed within the zone. Originally deemed the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) the space was soon renamed Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) and remained in place until July 1 when Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan ordered police to clear out the space after a series of late night shootings. Written in late July 2020, this critical analysis piece was based on discussions and experiences of our Seattle Black Rose/Rosa Negra comrades.

Continue reading #Seattle, #WA: #CHAZ / #CHOP Analysis – Glimmers of Hope, Failures of the Left
Posted on by — Leave a comment

#Seattle: Police Sweep Mutual Aid Soup Kitchen, Black Bloc Returns Fire

Seattle. WA. In the morning hours of Tuesday September 1st, Seattle Parks Department and Seattle Police initiated a sweep of unhoused people staying at Cal Anderson Park and the soup kitchen and community center set up in and around the previously abandoned (and now repurposed) shelter-house at the center of the park. Police pushed people out of the area surrounding the shelter house, making several arrests and claiming the park was closed while people could be seen working out and walking their dogs on the other side of the field. Seattle Police also confiscated a cache of shields, as well as spike strips. Seattle Parks employees confiscated tents, clothes and camping gear, only to throw them in a garbage truck, while snacking on food donated for the Shelter House and unhoused people with Seattle Police. Several arrests were made.

Continue reading #Seattle: Police Sweep Mutual Aid Soup Kitchen, Black Bloc Returns Fire
Posted on by — Leave a comment

#Seattle, #WA: Black Bloc Attacks Two Police Precincts in One Night

Seattle. WA. On Monday night, August 24th, a crowd of roughly 200 in black bloc gathered at Cal Anderson Park ready to march. The park has been the site of multiple stand-offs with the police recently, as a previously unoccupied shelter-house in the park has been cracked open and taken over to provide hot meals and shelter for unhoused people. Police have multiple times swept the park and arrested anyone literally caught in their way, yet the occupation of the building continues, providing much needed support services for the most vulnerable in our community at the height of a pandemic.

Continue reading #Seattle, #WA: Black Bloc Attacks Two Police Precincts in One Night
Posted on by — Leave a comment

#Seattle, #WA: July 19th Anti-Ice Action Youth Reportback

Seattle. WA. July 19th’s Anti-ICE protest began with a call to gather at Westlake at 11am, with speeches at 1pm. Speeches were given on the importance of solidarity in the face of police violence, highlighting the ways in which policing hurts not only the Black community, but Indigenous people, queer people, and the working class. This was followed by a warning that the day’s actions would be more intense than other marches in Seattle over the past couple weeks. The crowd was informed not to film protesters partaking in illegal action, not to peace-police each other, and not to panic in the face of police response. A diverse crowd of 200-300 people, including 40-50 in bloc, was ready to move out by this time.

Continue reading #Seattle, #WA: July 19th Anti-Ice Action Youth Reportback
Posted on by — Leave a comment

These Colors DO Run: #Seattle Reportback from July 4th “Patriot” Rally

Seattle. WA. Today on July 4th, after spending a full month planning to “liberate Seattle”, fascists and the far-right managed to only get 30 people to bother to show up to shut down CHOP or whatever they thought they were going to do. The group, upon arrival at Cal Anderson were met with immediate resistance from the community and numbers were pretty much even, not counting police, throughout.

Continue reading These Colors DO Run: #Seattle Reportback from July 4th “Patriot” Rally
Posted on by — Leave a comment

In Defense of Autonomy: #Seattle’s #CHOP Advanced the Movement for Black Lives

CHOP is dead, long live CHOP! As the police moved to dismantle the Seattle Capitol Hill Organized Protest (formerly “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone”) earlier this morning, this piece by Seattle based historian Micheal Reagan eloquently reflects on the power, significance and important weaknesses inherent in the movement.

Continue reading In Defense of Autonomy: #Seattle’s #CHOP Advanced the Movement for Black Lives
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Seattle: We Demand Amnesty For All

Seattle. WA. From surveillance to prosecution and incarceration, the state disproportionately targets BIPOC youth. From racist predictive policing to red-lining and a police department nationally recognized for its excessive use of force, there is a long history of state-sanctioned violence against communities of color by the Seattle police department.

Continue reading Seattle: We Demand Amnesty For All
Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Final Straw Radio: A View on the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone

In the past few weeks since the uprising in response to police killings of Black and Brown folks around Turtle Island, amazing chances have presented themselves and folks have seized opportunities. One great and unfolding circumstance is known as the CHAZ or CHOP, an autonomous zone and occupational protest surrounding a police precinct in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Continue reading The Final Straw Radio: A View on the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Interview: “#CHAZ is here to stay until demands are met by the Mayor of #Seattle”

Author: Katarina Pavičić-Ivelja

Throughout the past weeks, in the midst of Black Lives Matter protests, Seattle has seen violent clashes as the police, and the National Guard attacked protesters in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. However, the clashes seem to have inspired self-organization in the area which finally lead to the formation of a police-free, community lead territory known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. As the protesters constructed barricades around the perimeter of the newly proclaimed autonomous zone and erected signs containing messages such as „You are now entering free Capitol Hill“ (which seems to be visibly inspired by the mural thats stands at the entrance of a self-declared autonomous nationalist area of Derry, Northern Ireland, that existed between 1969 and 1972) , „People’s republic of Capitol Hill“, „No-cop co-op“ and alike, the Zone caught the public eye and caused an avalanche of various responses on social media.

Continue reading Interview: “#CHAZ is here to stay until demands are met by the Mayor of #Seattle”