Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Protesters resist as crews arrive to dismantle Seattle’s autonomous protest zone

https://www.oregonlive.com/news/202...le-seattles-autonomous-protest-zone.html

By The Associated Press
SEATTLE — Crews arrived with heavy equipment Friday at an occupied protest zone in Seattle, ready to dismantle barriers set up more than a week ago by demonstrators, but the work was halted when some protesters resisted by climbing atop the makeshift structures.


Stefanie Formas, a spokeswoman for Mayor Jenny Durkan, said the city's goal is to improve access to the area for residents. She said city officials would discuss plans later in the day with protest organizers.

The collective of protesters, activists, educators and volunteers in the Capitol Hill Organized Protest was formed after clashes with police who tear-gassed people protesting the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Durkan has expressed support for the protest, calling it “a peaceful expression of our community’s collective grief and their desire to build a better world.”

But following several shootings in the area, Durkan said the city would wind down the protest zone, at first by encouraging demonstrators to leave. In addition, she said police would return to a nearby precinct that was abandoned following clashes with demonstrators.

The work crews intended to remove the barricades, not protesters, Sam Zimbabwe, city transportation director, told local journalist Omari Salisbury, who has been live-streaming the protest.

Workers were preserving artwork that had been painted on the wooden barricades, Zimbabwe said, adding that the department would work to return it to the people who created it.


“We’re not trying to have conflict,” Zimbabwe said.

A number of protesters remained camped in tents outside the East Precinct. The city has not given a timeline for officers' return to the building except to say it would be in the near future.

Protesters have called for cutting the police budget 50% and spending the savings on community health and other programs. The mayor has proposed a vastly more modest cut of $20 million to help balance the city’s budget through the end of this year.

--The Associated Press

I don’t think I would’ve let protesters climbing on top of the barriers stop me from removing them. If They fell off, so what!

Your response sounds reasonable to me, I don't see a problem with it.

Just throw them in jail already you losers.

Is it too late for the "Bikers for Trump" to come in on the 4th?

IMHO. Seattle wants this gone before the bikers arrive for a fourth of July celebration and fireworks display

We need a few more Rachel Corrie’s among the protesters.

I was really looking forward to that.

Sam Zimbabwe? What a loon.

Any business in Seattle should make plans to leave the city, if they want to survive. Tosay's "Wall Street Journal" has an op ed by the CEO of a billion dollar firm who is doing just that, moving to Texas.

This is from a satire site, it has to be???

Sam Zimbabwe - City transportation director?????

Creating a separate country within an American city by occupation is “a peaceful expression of our community’s collective grief and their desire to build a better world.”????

Graffiti on city property now is Art but bronze statues must be pulled down??

Cutting Law Enforcement 50%?

If this isn't out of the communist revolutionary playbook, nothing is.

There's noting to discuss ....they have illegally occupied a US city that the City or State that cannot or will not claim back....send in Armor Vehicles with Special Forces troop and take the area back by any means....

It should not be the protesters to go first.....it should be those in charge of local government.....the governor and the mayor and anyone else of authority. These are the ones most aggressively failing the rule of law.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS ON BOTH COUNTS. TWO choices....................... Give in or stand up and MAKE them move, no matter WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, if it's tracked equipment, they could get caught in the tracks. That would slow down the work and you can't have that.

Still not sure what the issue is as the clean up crew would be on an hourly rate.

Well, it is an act of war after all.

This ^^^^^^^^ ... The Left absolutely cannot let any group associated with President Trump score a "Win"...

Might hurt their feelings

Water cannons would clear that carp up immediately

"Durkan has expressed support for the protest, calling it “a peaceful expression of our community’s collective grief and their desire to build a better world.”

How many times have we heard this from some left of center fooktard ??? As I recall, this was also hillary clintoons battle cry. Tell that to the 4 guys who were killed in Benghazi. I have no time for them. If the city of Seattle didn't have the balls to bring a fire truck and wash them dipsticks off the barricades, Seattle deserves every thing they get.

kwg