Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone
The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, also known as Free Capitol Hill, the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, or the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, was an occupation protest and self-declared autonomous zone in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. The zone, originally covering six city blocks and a park, was established on June 8, 2020 by George Floyd protesters after the Seattle Police Department left its East Precinct building, and was cleared of occupants by police on July 1, 2020.
The zone's formation in the Capitol Hill neighborhood was preceded by a week of tense interactions between protesters and police in full riot gear that began on June 1 and escalated on June 7, after a man drove his vehicle into the protesters and shot one of them. Tear gas, flash bangs, and pepper spray were repeatedly used by police in the densely populated residential neighborhood. The mayor issued a ban on tear gas on June 5. City, county, and state representatives joined demonstrators on the front lines on June 6, when flash bangs and pepper spray were used on the crowd. On June 7, the SPD reported that the crowd was throwing rocks, bottles, fireworks, and shining green lasers into officers eyes. Near midnight on June 8, tear gas was deployed again, despite the ban. Later that morning, police boarded up and moved out of the East Precinct in an effort to de-escalate the situation.
The zone was a self-organizing space without official leadership. The protesters united around three main demands: 1) cut Seattle’s $409 million police budget by 50 percent, 2) shift funding to community programs and services in historically Black communities, and 3) ensure that protesters would not be charged with crimes. Within the first fews days of formation, activity in the area rapidly expanded into a number of directions including the arts, music, dialog and resource exchange. Participants created a block-long "Black Lives Matter" mural, provided free film screenings in the open street, and performed live music. A "No Cop Co-op" was formed, brimming with food, hand sanitizer, and supplies. Areas were set up to serve expression of free speech and to facilitate discourse, and including the construction of a community vegetable garden.
The zone swiftly became a focus of national attention when President Donald Trump tweeted disapproval, on June 10 and again on June 11, referring to the occupants as "ugly Anarchists" and demanding that the governor of Washington and the mayor of Seattle "take back" the zone. Mayor Jenny Durkan described the area on June 11 as four blocks in Seattle with a block party atmosphere, a common occurrence for Capitol Hill, stating that "It's not an armed takeover. It's not a military junta." On June 14, USA Today confirmed a festive environment, comparing the protest to a miniature version of Burning Man. The following week, on June 22, the atmosphere had become more charged, as demonstrators marched and armed volunteer guards kept watch. SPD Chief Carmen Best expressed that the department was looking to reduce their footprint, but later clarified that officials aimed to return officers to the precinct, as it was paramount they were able to respond to calls in a timely fashion.
On June 12, Black Lives Matter protesters negotiated with local officials to leave the zone. The size of CHOP decreased four days later, when roadblocks were replaced and moved. CHOP continued to shrink in size following shootings in or near the zone on June 20, 21, and 23 when some occupiers left. Durkan responded that the SPD would return peacefully and in the near future. On June 28, she met with protesters and informed them that the city planned to remove most barricades and limit the area with activists to the East Precinct building and the street directly in front of it. That day CHOP organizers also expressed their intension to refocus on the area near the police station and away from the sprawling encampment at Cal Anderson Park, after it became a political liability as they struggled to maintain security. In the early morning hours of June 29, a fourth shooting left a 16-year-old boy dead and a 14-year-old boy in critical condition with gunshot injuries. Calling the situation "dangerous and unacceptable", SPD Chief Best told reporters, "Enough is enough. We need to be able to get back into the area."
On July 1, 2020, after the mayor issued an executive order, Seattle police cleared the area of protesters and reclaimed the East Precinct station. Protests continued in the streets of Seattle in the days following the closure of the zone.
Background
is a densely populated residential district situated on a steep hill just east of the city's downtown central business district, known for its prominent LGBT and counterculture communities, as well as its colorful vibrant nightlife. The city of Seattle was previously a center for other mass protests, such as the 1999 Seattle WTO protests and Occupy Seattle, The city is also home to several cultural institutions that were created through occupation protests, including the Northwest African American Museum, the Daybreak Star Cultural Center, and El Centro de la Raza.Protests over the killing of George Floyd and police brutality began in Seattle on May 29, 2020. For nine consecutive days there were street clashes in greater Seattle involving protesters, the Seattle Police Department, Washington State Patrol, and Washington National Guard.
Capitol Hill clashes (June 1–8)
The formation of the zone was preceded by a week of tense interactions in the Capitol Hill neighborhood that began on June 1, when protesters and police in full riot gear began to face off at a barricade police had set up near the SPD's East Precinct building. The SPD used aggressive dispersal tactics, including blast balls, flash bang grenades, and pepper spray. On June 5, Mayor Jenny Durkan and SPD Chief Carmen Best announced a 30-day ban on the use of tear gas.At the request of citizens, on June 6, a group of public representatives joined demonstrators on the front lines when officers again used flash bang grenades and pepper spray to control the crowd.
During the daytime on June 7, police installed sturdier barricades around the East Precinct and boarded up its windows. The situation further intensified that evening after 8 pm, when a demonstrator was shot while trying to slow down a vehicle being driven at excessive speed towards a crowd of 1,000 protesters on 11th Avenue and East Pine Street; the driver then exited the vehicle with a gun and walked towards the police line where he was taken into custody without further incident. It became known that the shooter's brother worked at the East Precinct. Several hours later, after police reported that protesters were throwing bottles, rocks, and fireworks, SPD resumed the use of tear gas, and released pepper spray and flash-bang grenades, on protesters at 11th and Pine, just after midnight on June 8. Over 12,000 complaints were filed about the police response to the demonstrations, and members of the Seattle city council questioned how many weapons had in fact been thrown at the police.
Police boarded up and vacated the East Precinct in the afternoon of June 8 in an effort to de-escalate the situation and rebuild trust. Protesters, initially suspicious of the SPD's motives, moved into the area, re-positioned the street barricades at a one-block radius from the station, and declared the area "Free Capitol Hill". Days after the event, it remained unclear who had made the decision to retreat from the East Precinct. Mayor Durkan latter attributed the decision to withdraw to an unnamed on-scene commander for SPD.
Territory
The zone was initially centered around the East Precinct building. Barriers were set up on Pine Street for several blocks in order to prevent traffic from passing. The early territory reportedly encompassed five and a half city blocks, including a public park. It stretched north to East Denny Way, east to 12th Avenue, south to East Pike, and west to Broadway. Cal Anderson Park was active with demonstrators. Protesters used blockades and fences to construct staggered barricades at intersections. One entrance to the zone's territory was marked by a barrier reading "You Are Entering Free Capitol Hill" on June 9. Other signs declared "You are now leaving the USA." The signage on the police station was modified, as protesters rebranded it the "Seattle People's Department East Precinct" amid graffiti with anarchist symbols.On June 16, after city officials came to an agreement with protest organizers on a new footprint, Seattle Department of Transportation crews installed concrete barriers wrapped in plywood in several areas of the zone along Pine Street, 10th Ave., and 12th Ave., effectively shrinking the area. The revised barrier spacing provided improved access for business deliveries and logistics, whereas the design offered space for decoration by artists affiliated with the protests. The new layout was posted on Mayor Durkan's blog, which explained: "The City is committed to maintaining space for community to come to together, protest and exercise their first amendment rights. Minor changes to the protest zone will implement safer and sturdier barriers to protect individuals in this area."KIRO Radio reported that on June 17, a large tent encampment had been set up on 11th between Pike and Pine Streets and that half of Cal Anderson Park had been "turned into a huge tent encampment with a massive community garden."
The borders of the zone were not clearly defined, and were known to shift daily.
The size of CHOP was reduced over time, with The Seattle Times reporting that the area had "shrunk considerably" by June 24. The demonstrators redirected their focus around the East Precinct on June 23 when "the Capitol Hill protest zone camp cleared parts of its Cal Anderson Park core."
On June 30, police and other city employees removed a number of the concrete barricades, while concentrating others into an area closer to the East Precinct. That same day, notices were posted to announce a noon closure of Cal Anderson Park for cleaning and repairs, with the garden and art created by protesters to remain undisturbed.
The remaining territory was reclaimed by Seattle police on July 1, 2020. That same day, Cal Anderson Park was reportedly closed for repairs.
Culture and amenities
Services
Protesters established the No Cop Co-op on June 9, 2020, offering free water, hand sanitizer, and snacks donated by the community, along with kebabs. Stalls were set up which offered cuisine such as vegan curry while others collected donations for the homeless. Organizers pitched tents next to the former precinct in order to hold the space. Two medical stations were established in the zone to deliver basic health care. The SDOT provided portable toilets. The city provided services to the area, including waste removal, portable toilets, and fire and rescue services; the SPD also stated they responded to 911 calls within the area. The King County public health department provided COVID-19 testing in Cal Anderson Park for a period of time during the protests.Community gardens
began to materialize prior to June 11 in Cal Anderson Park, where activists started to grow a variety of food products from seedlings. The gardens were initiated by a single basil plant, introduced by Marcus Henderson, a resident of the Columbia City neighborhood of Seattle. Activists expanded the gardens that were "cultivated by and for BIPOC" and included signage heralding famous black agriculturalists alongside commemorations of victims of police violence.The Seattle Times on June 11 reported that restaurant owners in the area had an uptick in walk-up business and a concomitant reduction in delivery costs. However, on June 14, USA Today reported that most businesses in the zone had closed, "although a liquor store, ramen restaurant and taco joint are still doing brisk business". Activists lived in tents inside the zone. Outside the zone, urban camping is illegal in Seattle, though even before the zone this law was seldom enforced.
Discourse
Arts and culture
The intersection of 12th and Pine was converted into a square for teach-ins, where a microphone was used to encourage people who were there with destructive intentions to leave the area. An area at 11th and Pine was set aside as the "Decolonization Conversation Café", a discussion area with daily topics. On June 9, an outdoor cinema with a sound system and projector was set up and used to screen open-air movies including 13th, Ava DuVernay's documentary about racism and mass incarceration, and Paris Is Burning, the 1990 documentary film from Jennie Livingston.The Marshall Law Band, a Seattle-based hip-hop fusion group, began performing for protesters on June 8, continuing for "nearly a week" to play sets for several hours at a time.
A block-long street mural saying "Black Lives Matter" was painted June 10–11, located on East Pine Street between 10th and 11th Avenues. Individual letters in the mural were uniquely painted by local artists of color, with supplies purchased through donations from demonstrators and passersby.
Shrines
Visitors lit candles and left flowers at three shrines, which featured photographs and notes expressing sentiments related to George Floyd and other victims of police brutality. On June 19, special events ranging from a "grief ritual" to a dance party were held in observation of Juneteenth.Internal governance
Occupants of the zone favored consensus decision-making, in the form of general assembly, with daily meetings and discussion groups, as an alternative to selecting designated leaders. According to City Journal on June 10, former mayoral candidate Nikkita Oliver held a major role within in the zone.On June 11, observers described the burgeoning activity at the early zone as hybrids of other movements, with an atmosphere that was "part protest, part commune", a cross between "a sit-in, a protest and summer festival", or a blend of "Occupy Wall Street and a college independent cooperative dorm." Vox stated, in an article from June 16, that CHAZ had evolved into "a center of peaceful protest, free political speech, co-ops, and community gardens" after protesters recovered from their initial confusion over the choice by police to leave the precinct.
Protesters held frequent town halls to decide strategy and make plans. Seattle officials saw no evidence of Antifa umbrella groups organizing in the zone. On June 15, SPD Chief Best said, "There is no cop-free zone in the city of Seattle." Best indicated officers would go into the zone if there were threats to public safety: "I think that the picture has been painted in many areas that shows the city is under siege", she added. "That is not the case."
Misinformation about the zone's governance circulated. According to Snopes, conservative social media personality Andy Ngo shared a video on June 15 of Seattle-based hip hop artist Raz Simone distributing a rifle from the trunk of his car to another protester on June 8, after "rumors developed that members of the right-wing group Proud Boys were going to move into the protest area to set fires and stir chaos." CNN later referred to Simone as the zone's "de facto leader", a characterization that he denied.
Names for the area
The protest area was identified by several names, with the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone most common at the outset, along with Free Capitol Hill. By the second week of formation, the area was more often referred to as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest.On June 13, a group of several dozen informal protest leaders agreed to change the name from CHAZ to CHOP. The name change was the result of a consensus among participants to deemphasize occupation. TechCrunch further clarified the underlying logic at work stating that participants decided to change the name to "the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest — then, noting the fact that Seattle itself is an “occupation” of native land, change the O to Organized."
KUOW reported that pavement at one intersection was repainted on June 14 with the new acronym CHOP following a discussion in which many of the most active participants had agreed to officially revise the name to the Capitol Hill Organized Protest for better accuracy. Other media reported the name change on June 15, June 16 , and June 17.
Demands
The stated goals of the protesters varied initially but settled on three main demands: 1) cut funding for city police by fifty percent, 2) redistribute the funds into community efforts such as restorative justice and health care, and 3) ensure that protesters would not be charged with crimes.One early list, released June 9 in a blog post attributed to "The Collective Black Voices at Free Capitol Hill" on Medium, outlined 30 demands including calls to defund the SPD and reallocate those funds to community health; ban police use of firearms, batons, riot shields, and chemical agents; release prisoners serving time for marijuana-related offenses or resisting arrest and expunge their records; mandatory retrials for people of color serving sentences for violent crimes; prison abolition; reform of education to increase the focus on black and Native American history; rent control, and the reversal of gentrification; free college; and free public housing. There was internal debate over how many demands to put forward, as some believed the protests were the start of a larger revolution while others asserted police brutality should remain as the immediate focus.
On June 10, approximately 1,000 protesters marched to the Seattle City Hall demanding the resignation of Mayor Durkan.
Security
Protesters accepted the open carry of firearms as a provision of safety. Members of the self-described anti-fascist, anti-racist, and pro-worker Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club were reported on June 9 as carrying rifles in the zone. Although the zone fell within the restricted area subject to Mayor Durkan's May 30 emergency order prohibiting the use of weapons including guns, her ban did not mandate enforcement. The Washington Post reported on June 12 that PSJBGC was on site but with no weapons visible, and USA Today the same day reported that "no one appeared armed with a gun". Reporters from a Tacoma-based Fox affiliate were chased out of the zone by occupants on June 9.During the occupation, area businesses hired private protection services, including Iconic Global, Homeland Patrol Division, and Fortress Security, that deployed men and women, some in uniform and others in plain clothes, armed with AR-15 style rifles and pepper spray, to patrol the zone on foot and in SUVs. Volunteers within the area also formed an informal group to provide security, with an emphasis on de-escalation tactics and preventing vandalism.
On June 15, KIRO-TV reported a break-in and fire at an auto shop located near the zone, to which the SPD did not respond; Police Chief Best later stated that officers observed the building from a distance and saw no sign of disturbance. On June 16, Seattle's KIRO-TV quoted an eight-year tenant of an apartment near the East Precinct as saying, "We are just sitting ducks all day. Now every criminal in the city knows they can come into this area and they can do anything they want as long as it isn't life-threatening, and the police won't come in to do anything about it." Frustrated by blocked streets, criminal behavior, and lawlessness, some residents temporarily moved out and others installed security cameras. A man who said he "100 percent" supports the protest told KOMO-TV: "I don't even feel safe anymore."
On June 18, a volunteer medic intervened during a sexual assault within a tent inside the occupied park area which resulted in the arrest of the alleged perpetrator. That same day, NPR reported, "Nobody inside the protest zone thinks a police return would end peacefully. Small teams of armed anti-fascists are also present, self-proclaimed community defense forces who say they're ready to fight if needed but that de-escalation is preferred."
Outside threats from Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer
From inception, there were reports that protesters at CHOP were aware of the threat posed by the far-right groups Patriot Prayer, active in the Pacific Northwest, and the Proud Boys, a national neo-fascist hate group. On June 15, armed members of the Proud Boys appeared in the zone at a Capitol Hill rally. This group of the Proud Boys aimed to confront what they called "authoritarian behaviour" by the protesters, with the resulting video of the clashes going viral.Proud Boys affiliate and known brawler, Tusitala "Tiny" Toese was filmed in the zone while punching a man and breaking his cell phone on June 15. Toese has long been known in the Pacific Northwest for engaging in fights, first as a leading member of Patriot Prayer and after early 2019, as an openly chauvinist member of the Proud Boys. He has been described as "the right-wing protester most frequently arrested in Portland." Toese is a resident of Washington state and the subject of several reports by Portland's Willamette Week. He has not been prosecuted for violent offenses despite his own confession and witnesses confirming assault, lending to accusations that law enforcement is enabling his behavior. He was later arrested for violating his probation due to video evidence that showed him assaulting the man in CHOP.
The Seattle Police Department blotter page about the order to clear the area of protesters listed FBI reported law enforcement incidents in the area. It shows 37 incidents in 2019 and 65 incidents through June 30, 2020. Crime in the area from June 2–June 30 rose 525 percent compared to the same period in 2019. In addition to two homicides and two non-fatal shootings, the increase included narcotics use, violent crimes such as rape, robbery, and assault, and elevated gang activity.
Shootings
Prior to the zone
June 7
On June 7, the day prior to the zone's founding, a man drove into a crowd of protesters. He was intercepted by a protester who reached into his car and tried to stop him, before being shot by the driver. The victim suffered a gunshot wound in his upper right arm but was expected to recover fully within a year. The driver was charged with first degree assault.During the zone
June 20
In the early morning hours of June 20, two people were shot in seperate incidents in the Capitol Hill neighborhood at the edge of the protest zone. It was unclear if the shootings were connected to the protests. An analysis by KUOW, based on 911 transcripts, video recordings, and eyewitness testimony, suggested that miscommunication between SPD and the Seattle Fire Department slowed the emergency response.Emergency dispatchers received the first reports of gunshots at 2:19 a.m.. A 19-year-old Black man, Horace Lorenzo Anderson Jr, was transported to Harborview Medical Center with multiple gunshot wounds by volunteer medics, but was pronounced dead shortly afterward, at 2:53 a.m. A local rapper known as "Lil Mob", Anderson had graduated from high school the previous day.
The second victim, 33-year-old, DeJuan Young, was found by a former nurse who, along with the help of a volunteer medic, determined he had two gunshot wounds. Young reported that he went to leave after hearing the first shooting but was surrounded by a group of men, called a racist term, and shot at repeatedly while at 11th and Pike. Transported to Harborview by 3:06 a.m., he was in critical condition the following day. KIRO-TV reported that Young was shot by different people a block away from where Anderson was mortally wounded. Young said "I was shot by, I'm not sure if they're Proud Boys or KKK, but the verbiage that they said was hold this 'N-----' and shot me." He expressed concern that his case was not being properly investigated due to the perception that protesters had "asked for the police not to be there, so don't act like ya'll need them now.'" However, Young was outside the zone during the shooting. "I was in Seattle streets," he said. "So what's the excuse now?"
Armed police eventually entered the zone in riot gear but were informed by protesters that "The victim left the premises!" City Council member Lisa Herbold, chair of the public safety committee, said the suggestion that the crowd interfered with access to victims "defies belief". SPD was reviewing public-source video and body camera video, but no suspects were in custody and a motive had not been determined. CHOP representatives alleged that the individuals involved had a history, which seemed to escalate because of "gang affiliations".
June 21
Another shooting occurred on June 21, the second such incident in the zone in less than 48 hours. After being transported in a private vehicle to Harborview Medical Center, a 17-year-old male was treated for a gunshot wound to the arm and released. He declined to speak with SPD detectives.On June 22, Mayor Durkan said the violence was distracting from the message of thousands of peaceful protesters. "We cannot let acts of violence define this movement for change," she said, adding that the city "will not allow for gun violence to continue in the evenings around Capitol Hill." The mayor announced that officials are working with the community to bring the zone to an end. "It's time for people to go home," she said, "to restore order and eliminate the violence on Capitol Hill."
At the same press conference, Police Chief Best spoke of "groups of individuals engaging in shootings, a rape, assault, burglary, arson and property destruction." She added, "I cannot stand by, not another second and watch another black man, or anyone really, die in our streets while people aggressively thwart the efforts of police and other first responders from rescuing them."
June 23
On June 23, there was a third shooting near the zone, leaving a man in his thirties with wounds that were not life-threatening. SPD was reportedly investigating, but the victim refused to provide information about the attack or describe a suspect.June 29
A fourth shooting in the vicinity of the zone occurred in the early morning hours of June 29. A 16-year-old African American male named Antonio Mays Jr. was killed and a 14-year-old male was in critical condition with gunshot injuries. Mays was a resident of San Diego, California and reportedly left home for Seattle a week earlier. In video from that night, a series of 12 - 13 gunshots can be heard at approximately 2:54 a.m., just before a voice yells warning of "multiple vehicles"; "multiple shooters"; and a "stolen white jeep" as protesters scramble into position. This is followed by a five minute lull before another 18 gunshots can be heard as the white jeep crashes into a barricade or portable toilet.While searching for evidence, SPD discovered that the crime scene had been disturbed. Police have made no arrests in any of the shootings at CHOP since June 20. According to Marty Jackson, a volunteer medic who witnessed the event, CHOP's security forces shot at an SUV that the teenagers crashed into a concrete barrier.
Reactions
Local
Mayor Jenny Durkan called the creation of the zone an attempt to "de-escalate interactions between protesters and law enforcement", while Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said that her officers would look at different approaches to "reduce footprint" in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. City Council member Kshama Sawant, who belongs to the Trotskyist Socialist Alternative party, spoke to the occupants of Cal Anderson Park on June 8, 2020. She called for the protesters to turn the precinct into a community center for restorative justice.On June 10, Assistant Police Chief Deanna Nollette said in a news conference, "We're trying to get a dialogue going so we can figure out a way to resolve this without unduly impacting the citizens and the businesses that are operating in that area." She said police had received reports that "armed individuals" were running barricades set up by protesters as checkpoints, "intimidat community members", and that police had "heard anecdotally" of residents and businesses being asked to pay a fee to operate in the area, adding, "This is the crime of extortion." The following day, Best said the police had not received "any formal reports" of extortion, and the Greater Seattle Business Association said they "found no evidence of this occurring". On June 11, the SPD announced their desire to re-enter the abandoned East Precinct building, and said they still operated within the zone's territory. Governor Jay Inslee, on the same day, said the zone was "unpermitted" but "largely peaceful". On June 12, Police Chief Best said, "Rapes, robberies and all sorts of violent acts have been occurring in the area and we have not been able to get to it." In the early morning hours of June 12, an unknown man set a fire at the East Precinct building and walked away; community residents extinguished the flames before they could spread beyond the building's external wall or to the nearby tents. Later that day, Mayor Durkan visited the zone and told a New York Times reporter that she did not know of any serious crime that was reported in the area.
On June 16, a deal was struck between CHOP representatives and the city to "rezone" the occupied area to allow better street access for businesses and local services. On June 17, KING-TV reported that some are frustrated with the occupation of the area near their homes. One couple commented: "What you want from a home is a stress-free environment. You want to be able to sleep well, you want to feel comfortable and we just don't feel comfortable right now." KING-TV reported also receiving anonymous emails from other local residents expressing "real concerns". On June 18, unease was reportedly being expressed by many black protesters about the zone and its use of Black Lives Matter slogans. According to NPR, "Black activists say there must be follow-through to make sure their communities remain the priority in a majority-white protest movement whose camp has taken on the feel of a neighborhood block party that's periodically interrupted by chants of 'Black Lives Matter!'"
On June 22, the Mayor of Seattle and the Chief of Police stated in a press conference that the police would reoccupy the East Precinct "peacefully and in the near future". No specific timeline was provided. On June 24, CNN quoted the "de facto CHOP leader," hip-hop artist Raz Simone, as saying "a lot of people are going to leave—a lot of people already left" the zone.
Also on June 24, Mayor Durkan proposed a hiring freeze on the police force and a $20 million cut to the SPD budget, a reduction of roughly 5% for the remainder of 2020 as part of an effort to compensate for a revenue shortfall and unforeseen expenses due to the coronavirus epidemic. During a public-comment period, some community members said that the budget cut should be larger and that SPD funds should be redirected to housing and healthcare-related spending. The same day, a dozen businesses, residents and property owners filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court against the City of Seattle, which they alleged had deprived them of due process by tolerating the zone. Stating that they do not wish "to undermine CHOP participants' message or present a counter-message", the plaintiffs declared that their legal rights were "overrun" by the city's "unprecedented decision to abandon and close off an entire city neighborhood", isolating them from the city's services. The plaintiffs seek compensation for lost business, property damage and deprivation of their property rights, plus restoration of full public access.
On June 30, Community Roots Housing, a public development authority that owns 13 properties housing 694 people in CHOP's vicinity, called for shutting down the protest zone. "These residents have become victims of an occupation better characterized today by its violence, chaos and killings than anything else," the organization wrote. "Forcing us to choose between anarchy and police brutality is a false dichotomy. Compassion and law-enforcement should not be mutually exclusive."
At 5:28 a.m. on July 1, Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan issued an executive order declaring "gathering in this area an unlawful assembly requiring immediate action from city agencies, including the Police Department." More than 100 police officers, with help from the FBI, moved into the area and tweeted a warning that anyone remaining or returning would be subject to arrest. By day's end, 44 people had been arrested, and overnight another 25 were taken into custody. Seattle police also posted a video on YouTube containing examples of violent incidents in the Capitol Hill area.
After reclaiming the East Precinct, the SPD maintained road blocks in the area and restricted access to local residents, workers and business proprietors. Some businesses reported that the continued police presence deterred customers.
National
On June 9, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz from Texas stated that the zone was "endangering people's lives". The next day, President Donald Trump demanded that Governor Inslee and Mayor Durkan "take back" the zone, saying that if they did not do it, he would do it for them. Inslee condemned Trump's involvement in the situation, telling him to "stay out of Washington state's business". Trump followed up by calling the protesters "domestic terrorists". Durkan told President Trump to "go back to bunker". On June 11, Durkan responded further, saying that the president wanted to tell a story about domestic terrorists with a radical agenda to fit his law and order initiatives, but that lawfully expressing first amendment rights to demand better of society was patriotism, not terrorism.USA Today described the zone as a "protest haven", while the World Socialist Web Site described it as an "anarchistic commune". Conservative pundit Guy Benson mocked the occupation of Capitol Hill as "communist cosplay". National Review contrasted the mainstream media coverage of the zone, which they deemed as sympathetic, to the negative coverage of the 2016 Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation.
On June 12, the Fox News website published digitally altered photographs of the area, to include a man armed with an assault rifle from earlier Seattle protests; also added to the photographs were smashed windows from other parts of Seattle. In a separate incident, the Fox News website ran articles about protests in Seattle; however, the accompanying photo of a burning city was actually taken in Saint Paul, Minnesota the previous month. "Fox's coverage contributed to the appearance of armed unrest", stated The Washington Post. The manipulated and wrongly used images were removed, with Fox News stating that it "regrets these errors". On June 15, Monty Python co-founder John Cleese mocked a Fox News anchorwoman for reading on air a Reddit post indicating purported "signs of rebellion" within the zone, which turned out to be a joke referencing a scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Protesters in other cities sought to replicate the autonomous zone in their own communities. Protesters in Portland, Oregon and in Asheville, North Carolina tried to create autonomous zones but were stopped by police. On June 12, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee condemned attempts to create an autonomous area in Nashville, warning protesters in the state that "Autonomous zones, and violence will not be tolerated." In Philadelphia, a group established an encampment that was compared to the Seattle occupation; however, their primary focus was not autonomy but to protest Philadelphia's anti-homelessness laws. In what CNN called "an apparent reference to the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle," protesters on June 22 spray-painted "BHAZ", standing for Black House Autonomous Zone, on the pillars of St. John's Episcopal Church, which sits across the street from Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C. The next day, President Trump tweeted, "There will never be an 'Autonomous Zone' in Washington, D.C., as long as I'm your President. If they try they will be met with serious force!" Twitter placed a public interest notice on Trump's tweet for violating the company's policy against abusive behavior—"specifically," Twitter explained, "the presence of a threat of harm against an identifiable group."
Politico reported that CHAZ "was a recurring theme throughout” debate by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee of the Democrat-sponsored police reform bill, on June 17. Rep. Debbie Lesko offered an amendment to cut off federal police grants to any municipality that allows an autonomous zone. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, whose district includes CHAZ, blamed Fox News and "right-wing media pundits" for spreading misinformation. The bill was eventually approved by a majority-Democratic vote.
On July 1, 2020, commenting on expulsion of protesters from the zone that day by police, U.S. Attorney General William Barr commended SPD Chief Best "for her courage and leadership in restoring the rule of law in Seattle." White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, "I am pleased to inform everyone that Seattle has been liberated... Anarchy is anti-American, law and order is essential, peace in our streets will be secured." The next day, President Trump said, "I'm glad to see, in Seattle, they took care of the problem, because as they know, we were going in to take. We were ready to go in and they knew that too. And they went in and they did what they had to do."
Aftermath
Protests continued in the streets of Seattle after the sweep of the CHOP zone. The night of July 19, according to SPD statements, saw vandalism in the Capitol Hill area and a firework thrown into the East Precinct, starting a small fire that was rapidly extinguished.Donnitta Sinclair Martin, the mother of Lorenzo Anderson, filed a wrongful death claim against the city, alleging that the police and fire department had failed to protect or provide medical assistance for her son, and that the city's decisions had created a dangerous environment.
Late at night on July 23, a group of 150 people returned to the Capitol Hill neighborhood and vandalized several businesses, including a shop owned by a relative of one of the police officers who fatally shot Charleena Lyles, a pregnant black woman, at home in 2017.
On July 25, several thousand protesters gathered in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle for demonstrations in solidarity with Portland, Oregon. Tensions escalated in the neighboring city in early July after the Trump administration deployed federal forces against the wishes of local officials, stirring controversy and regenerating the protests. The Department of Homeland Security deployed an undisclosed number of federal agents to Seattle on July 23, without notifying local officials, adding to anxieties for the city's residents. A July 25 march by the Youth Liberation Front gathered peacefully for several hours in the early afternoon but it was designated a riot by the SPD after the protests devolved into property destruction towards several businesses, fires were started in five construction trailers near a future juvenile detention center, and several employees of the youth jail had their vehicles severely vandalized. The actions on July 25 resulted in the arrest of 47 people, with 21 police officers injured. Crosscut reported that many marchers participated on July 25 out of an understanding that the two central issues of the protest, police brutality and federal overreach, were deeply connected.