While I was away, the situation at the Seattle CHOP (formerly CHAZ) zone didn’t improve noticeably. As John pointed out yesterday, it briefly looked like there would be some progress in attempting to retake control of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, but before construction crews could dismantle the barriers, the Mayor once again caved in and gave them more time. I’m not sure if the two incidents are directly related, but there was another notable turn of events on Sunday that didn’t draw quite as much attention. After Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that the city would finally be retaking control of the area and the abandoned East Precinct police station, the protesters and rioters became rather upset with her. This led to a march bringing the disruptive elements right to Durkan’s own home. And that was apparently a bridge too far because the Mayor felt she was being put in personal danger. (Washington Examiner, emphasis added)
A group of protesters marched to the home of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan on Sunday afternoon, upset that she pledged to dismantle the police-free “Capitol Hill Organized Protest,” known as CHOP.
Seattle City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant joined a group of dozens of demonstrators gathered at Durkan’s home, holding signs, chanting, and demanding she leave the area alone or meet protesters’ demands…
Durkan’s office issued a statement on the protests, saying Sawant joined the protests “without regard for the safety of the Mayor and her family.”
“Mayor Durkan and her family are in the state program to keep their address confidential because of the death threats mostly related to her work as Seattle’s U.S. Attorney under President Obama,” a statement from the mayor’s office issued Sunday read.
The incredibly tone-deaf statement went on to say that while Seattle’s residents should be able to peacefully demonstrate, they “should not put families and children at risk.”
Oh, really, Mayor Durkan? It took an angry mob showing up at your house for you to suddenly become worried about “families and children” being put at risk? To steal a line from the greatest Christmas movie of all time, welcome to the party, pal.
I’ve lost track of the number of shootings inside the CHOP area that have gone unanswered by law enforcement. There have also been incidents of rape and attempted rape. Businesses were being looted or subjected to armed robbery from day one. The violence has already reached the point where multiple business owners are suing the city for abandoning them to the mob.
Where was Mayor Durkan’s concern over the safety and welfare of the “families and children” while all of this was going on? Apparently it only became an issue once the mob reached her own front door. The statement from her office also included a claim that the Mayor and her family are in some sort of protection program that’s supposed to keep her home address confidential. How nice for her. Sadly, the rest of the people with homes and businesses in the Capitol Hill district aren’t afforded any such luxury so the mob is free to “visit” them at will.
Does this woman have any idea how elitist and out of touch she sounds? Residents of her city are literally being shot, killed, sexually assaulted and robbed while the police are told to stand down. But somehow, a protest outside of her house is what qualified as stepping over the line. And instead of cracking down on the lawlessness, her “solution” is to agree to defund the police and give in to the mob’s demands. If the people of Seattle decide to reward her with another term after this, I will have zero sympathies for them. Let the rioters burn down the city. It’s what you deserve.
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