Inside CHAZ
2020 Published in Pavement Pieces
An inside look at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone
Since June 8th, Seattle protestors have taken up residence inside a 6-block "Autonomous Zone" in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, referred to as CHAZ.
After two weeks of clashes between police and protestors throughout the city, Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said law enforcement officers boarded up and left the East Precinct in "an exercise in trust and deescalation.” She has denied responsibility for the decision to leave.
The "no cop" area held by protestors has drawn national attention, and even the ire of President Trump, who has called for the "ugly Anarchists" to be "stooped [sic] IMMEDIATELY."
Capitol Hill residents have described CHAZ as "extremely chill," and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan has said she isn't sure how long the settlement will last, joking on CNN that Seattle could have "a summer of love."
While the fate of CHAZ is unclear, protestors have released a list of demands on their website, calling for the complete defunding and abolishment of the Seattle Police Department.
What’s next for the Autonomous Zone?
Nine days after Seattle’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, “CHAZ” was created, protestors renamed it “CHOP,” the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest.
The name change was part of an effort to re-focus attention on the protests against police brutality, and the defunding of the Seattle Police Department. Some organizers are worried that the area is turning into a “block party” for curious Seattleites, and losing the momentum of a political movement. The shift also comes after some right-wing media claimed that protestors were intent on seceding from the United States altogether.
The initial confusion surrounding the name change can also be seen as a symptom of disagreement among the protestors themselves. While some organizers are intent on keeping focused on issues of police brutality, there are others who want to expand the mission, and turn the protest zone into an anarchist space offering mutual aid to marginalized groups.
Some protestors would like the Police Precinct at 11th and Pine to be turned into a community center. While police have gone in and out of the East Precinct since the zone’s creation, the building’s future remains unclear.
On June 16th, the Seattle Department of Transportation and the city’s Fire Department swapped CHOP’s plastic orange barricades for concrete ones, opening up traffic on 12th Street, and providing security for protestors concerned about cars attempting to drive through the zone.
Nine days after Seattle’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, “CHAZ” was created, protestors renamed it “CHOP,” the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest.
The name change was part of an effort to re-focus attention on the protests against police brutality, and the defunding of the Seattle Police Department. Some organizers are worried that the area is turning into a “block party” for curious Seattleites, and losing the momentum of a political movement. The shift also comes after some right-wing media claimed that protestors were intent on seceding from the United States altogether.
The initial confusion surrounding the name change can also be seen as a symptom of disagreement among the protestors themselves. While some organizers are intent on keeping focused on issues of police brutality, there are others who want to expand the mission, and turn the protest zone into an anarchist space offering mutual aid to marginalized groups.
Some protestors would like the Police Precinct at 11th and Pine to be turned into a community center. While police have gone in and out of the East Precinct since the zone’s creation, the building’s future remains unclear.
On June 16th, the Seattle Department of Transportation and the city’s Fire Department swapped CHOP’s plastic orange barricades for concrete ones, opening up traffic on 12th Street, and providing security for protestors concerned about cars attempting to drive through the zone.