Seattle city council supported ‘occupied zone’ despite residents’ persistent complaints

Businesses and residents in Seattle begged the Seattle City Council for more protection since the beginning of the riots which led to so much mayhem and unrest in Seattle. Yet the council responded by defunding the police department, though Mayor Jenny Durkan eventually vetoed the budget that contained the bulk of these cuts.

Recently released emails from the city council show that residents and businesses owners in the CHOP were being threatened and harassed while their establishments were broken into and vandalized. Meanwhile the Mayor and the council were calling the CHOP "a street fair" and a "block party" knowing full well it was anything but.

Steve (name changed) worked at a business that came within the boundaries of the CHOP. He sent an email to Antifa supporting city councilmember Teresa Mosqueda which claimed "…there was a full roadblock at 11th Ave & E Olive St., including steel barriers (used by the SPD at 11th & Pine last week) and an SDOT 'Road Closed' Orange/Black barrier. Again, I was stopped on my way to work, and asked where I was going." He was not stopped by police, but by militant activists.

Steve continued: "On Thursday, I called 911 at 5:29am after passing through the checkpoint for a second day. The 911 dispatcher told me that what the Assistant Chief actually meant was to call only if I'd experienced an extortion attempt. Again, I was instructed that the SPD was aware of the barriers and checkpoints, and would not respond."

Kevin (name changed) emailed Marxist council member Kshama Sawant saying:

"We are very supportive of the recent protests and have participated in them… Currently, it is not safe to walk through the park with my 3 year old son, given the garbage and large number of tents throughout, and there is a lot of noise late at night. There is not a clear safety plan nor good sanitation and much of the park's public space on the northern end, away from the playfield, has also been rapidly converted to private tent areas. As this is essentially next to our house, our safety especially after dark is becoming more of a concern."

Another email to Sawant said: "I want to remain anonymous. Us Business owners in chop are losing money and scared to speak up, because you and people here will destroy our businesses. We just want to make a living. Please stop this."

Robert (name changed) emailed the entire council the following: "I am an eight year resident of **** St. inside of the 'CHOP', and I am living in constant fear of my life."

He continued: "I am increasingly concerned and disheartened by your lack of action and your response towards 'CHOP' on Capitol Hill. My apartment has been broken into three times since 'CHOP' was established. Each time, by the same man. I still see that man everyday on the streets inside of 'CHOP'. I’ve called SPD each time, and they told me there is nothing they can do. I've told 'CHOP' security, and they also told me that there is nothing they can do other than keep their eye out for suspicious activity. I am so disheartened right now.

"I cannot believe that i am going to 'CHOP' security! Who are they accountable too? The police clearly will not enter here as we saw from the news clips. This truly is a cop free zone. It is also a completely lawless zone! At least one person has been sexually assaulted in Cal Anderson Park. My neighbor, the Car Tender has had their business broken into while subsequently being pursued by the 'CHOP' mob who demanded they release the very person who was breaking into their business. Fireworks were going off for hours on the streets of 'CHOP' Friday night preceding the shootings.

Robert elaborated: "All I hear on the news is that you are negotiating with 'CHOP' leadership and the SPD. What about us residents who live here and pay taxes for the services we are not receiving! You are negotiating with people openly violating the law! They are blocking the streets to emergency vehicles. They are camping in the park. They are lighting off fireworks. And now they are attracting the attention of bullets!!!

"They do not support free speech either!!! Multiple times my neighbors and I have attempted to address our concerns to them. We get shouted down, booed, and have the microphone stripped from us before we’ve even begun to make our plea. Meanwhile, the Mayor's voice mailbox is full, and we can’t even have our voices heard! It feels truly hopeless!

"We all support BLM and we all support free speech. But this is far beyond that. I've heard the 'CHOP' security openly talk about how this isn't about BLM to them. I have video of my black neighbor in the 12th Ave Arts building being derided by the head of 'CHOP' security with racist language!!! We are being held hostage here!"

These are just a few of the many emails released. No responses from council members were sent to constituents unless the constituent supported the riots, the CHOP or the council.

Council members did continue to criticize SPD and Chief Carmen Best in their emails, work on press releases to continue the false narrative that the CHOP was just a peaceful protest, and further work to defund SPD.

Rather than help their constituents, council members and the mayor spent over $1,000,000 replacing the barriers of CHOP with concrete blocks to protect the armed occupiers.

With no end to the riots in sight, residents, businesses and even police officers continue to flee the Emerald City.