Protesters declare Seattle police station an 'autonomous zone' in true 'Hunger Games' style after cops retreat
After Seattle police retreated from the Capitol Hill neighborhood, protesters took to establishing a six-block barricaded zone around the East Precinct police building, on 12th Avenue and E Pine Street, that had been the site of protests and a brutal police crackdown for eight days. The precinct building is now boarded up. The barricaded zone has been declared the "Free Capitol Hill Zone" or "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" according to area activists. Police Chief Carmen Best confirmed that her department evacuated the precinct on Monday evening, June 8, as an exercise in “trust and de-escalation.”
While city authorities may expect protesters to disperse eventually, however, many have taken to social media to express their intentions to keep the "Autonomous Zone" going. One user tweeted, "The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. Folks in Seattle have secured six blocks of city atm, barricaded it, and gotten local businesses and residents to agree to, well, disaffiliate from Seattle basically. It's a flux state in the making," while another wrote, "Here’s what the CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone) looks like. Hot dog stands have been set up inside as have tents. A speaker is addressing a crowd of a couple of hundred protesters. #seattleprotest."
A user tweeted, "This was Seattle last night after Seattle PD abandoned what's being called the "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone." Without police, the zone has turned into a peaceful George Floyd memorial filled with art, positivity & love. Let this be a reminder– police are the real instigators." Another joked, "Very unclear if currently living in Seattle, East Berlin, or book 3 of the hunger games right now. Do I still have to pay rent in the capitol hill autonomous zone?"
According to one Twitter user, some of the improvised barriers used to establish the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone include cars, water-wall barriers, bicycle fencing, cement blocks, and scouts. The user wrote, "The center is outside the East Precinct, feat. rotating speakers. People are pledging to stay for another night with tents. #seattleprotest."
Those outside the area seem amused by the developments, with one user joking, "Seeing capitol hill autonomous zone trend really gave me pause i thought the empire had fallen while I was making dinner." Another wrote, "Regardless of your general opinion of anarchism, now is a time for left unity. The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone is worth defending, even if we ideologically disagree with the people running it."
However, many are reminding that Seattle is part of the Duwamish aboriginal territory. One user tweeted, "As people are using this opportunity to promote themselves and co-opt the movement of the people we’ve heard talk on the streets of ceding the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone back to the Duwamish Tribe."
Another wrote, "It’s a victory for #seattleprotests to take the precinct, please also acknowledge that the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone is still occupying stolen Duwamish land. Please also don’t forget why we are there in the first place, for the #BlackLivesMatter movement."
A user tweeted, "If the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone ends up being a commune for white folks instead of a space for the BIPOC community, then you’re still a bunch of colonizing performative allies #seattleprotests." They also warned, "Last thing, if the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone fails or something bad happens there, the blame will go back to the #BlackLivesMattter movement. So if white people do end up being the ones to organize this space, don’t f**k it up for the movement #seattleprotests."