This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
On Wednesday, July 1, 2020, Seattle police officers moved into the Capitol Hill neighborhood to clear a protest zone established after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The area had been surrounded by demonstrators who had set up a 'no cop' zone, sparking growing tensions over how to handle the situation.
City officials cited a series of violent episodes, including the deaths of two teenagers in at least four shootings over a 10-day period in June, as the reason for their decision to vacate the region. The incidents had drawn the attention of President Trump, who had blasted Democratic officials in Seattle and Washington State for failing to clear the area earlier.
Chief Carmen Best of the Seattle Police Department stated, 'Black Lives Matter, and I too want to help propel this movement toward meaningful change in our community. But enough is enough.'
A crowd of police officers, some wearing helmets and carrying batons, pushed through the area in the early dawn hours. Officials said the equipment was not meant to be a pre-emptive show of force but was necessary because people gathered in the area were known to be armed.
Thirteen people were arrested by the police, and the city had previously made the unusual decision to abandon a police station in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, board up its windows, and let protesters have free rein outside.
