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Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan ordered police on Wednesday to dismantle the ‘autonomous’ Capitol Hill Ongoing Protest, or CHOP, zone following a half-dozen shootings and protest at her own home led by a far-Left city councilwoman.
But despite issuing the order due to increasing lawlessness and violence inside the zone, by Wednesday afternoon Durkan took to social media to praise the “incredibly peaceful demonstrations” there.
“For weeks, we have had incredibly peaceful demonstrations on Capitol Hill. Thousands of individuals came together to call for change, and their message has been heard loud and clear: Black Lives Matter. We must continue to live up to this moment in our nation’s history,” she wrote on Twitter.
For weeks, we have had incredibly peaceful demonstrations on Capitol Hill. Thousands of individuals came together to call for change, and their message has been heard loud and clear: Black Lives Matter. We must continue to live up to this moment in our nation’s history.
— Mayor Jenny Durkan (@MayorJenny) July 1, 2020
That said, however, one of the two shooting victims who died inside the zone was black.
For her part, Durkan went on to acknowledge that the zone had become increasingly violent.
“But the recent public safety threats have been well documented. These acts of gun violence resulted in the tragic deaths of two teenagers, with multiple others seriously wounded. Despite continued efforts to deescalate and bring community together, this violence demanded action,” she tweeted.
“Our conversations over the weekend made it clear that many individuals would not leave, and that we couldn’t address these critical public safety concerns until they did,” she added.
Our conversations over the weekend made it clear that many individuals would not leave, and that we couldn’t address these critical public safety concerns until they did.
— Mayor Jenny Durkan (@MayorJenny) July 1, 2020
“Undoing centuries of systemic racism will not happen overnight, but I believe Seattle can lead the country in addressing injustices and ensuring everyone, regardless of their race, can achieve their full potential,” the mayor added.
“Racism is hard-wired into our institutions and permeates throughout our society. We can only bring to undo the trauma and injustice by centering the voices of to send who have been most affected, and that is what we will continue to do,” she further claimed, without offering any evidence.
Racism is hard-wired into our institutions and permeates throughout our society. We can only bring to undo the trauma and injustice by centering the voices of to send who have been most affected, and that is what we will continue to do.
— Mayor Jenny Durkan (@MayorJenny) July 1, 2020
Durkan’s order to dismantle the zone also came after socialist councilwoman Kshama Sawant joined protesters outside the CHOP zone in a march on Durkan’s multimillion-dollar mansion on Sunday.
Sawant’s actions led Durkan to issue a statement calling for an investigation, noting that the city council can expel members “for disorderly or otherwise contemptuous behavior.”
“She and organizers knew that my address was protected under the state confidentiality program because of threats against me due largely to my work as U.S. Attorney,” the mayor — who served as the city’s top federal prosecutor before taking office — wrote.
“All of us have joined hundreds of demonstrations across the city, but Councilmember Sawant and her followers chose to do so with reckless disregard of the safety of my family and children,” Durkan continued.
The Seattle Times adds:
The mayor cited Article IV, Section 4 of the City Charter, which says the council has the authority “to punish its members and others for disorderly or otherwise contemptuous behavior in its presence, and to expel for such behavior in its presence any member by the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of its members.”
Durkan also noted that Sawant should be held responsible for opening City Hall to protesters last month, as well as allegedly misusing her office for disallowed political activities.
As for the CHOP zone, not all of it will be dismantled.
According to local radio host Jason Rantz, Durkan will leave “art” on display as well as a garden, “one of which was originally only for black and indigenous people,” he wrote on Twitter.
She also said she does not support charging anyone arrested at the zone for refusing to disperse, as ordered by police, Rantz added.
Now Mayor Durkan is saying she'll honor CHOP's history by keeping up the art and the garden (one of which was originally only for black and indigenous people) and says she doesn't support charging everyone who was arrested this morning for most(?) misdemeanors.
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) July 1, 2020
Several users panned Durkan’s statements and characterization of the zone.
I hope they camp out at your house so you can experience some of the stress of business owners and residents of that other area did. So that you can hear breaking glass and constant lemming-like chanting all night for a couple weeks.
— Styxhexenhammer666 (@Styx666Official) July 2, 2020
Hard wired? Girl. We have black people and people of all races at all levels of government and celebrity. This is hilarious.
— Jonathan Falcon (@JonathanFalcons) July 1, 2020
Your “incredibly peaceful demonstration” has a BODY COUNT, Mayor!
— Cari Kelemen (@KelemenCari) July 1, 2020
Yeah only a few black people died at your summer of Love, no big deal to you. However your name will always be associated with a body count. Their blood is on your hands. Derelict Democrat leaders like you are dangerous and enable negligent homicide.#DurkenBodyCount
— Marisa (@MarisaLR2) July 2, 2020
Durkan’s statement sounds like something straight out of the pages of Pravda or the press releases of the Xinhua News Agency.
— Richard Tamesis ⭐️⭐️⭐️❌ 🇺🇸🦅 (@rtamesis) July 1, 2020
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Jon is a staff writer for BizPac Review with 30 years' worth of reporting experience, as well as an author and U.S. Army veteran. He has a BA in political science from Ashford University and an MA in national security studies/intelligence analysis from American Military University.
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