Protesters sore point with president
Trump says Seattle seized by ‘anarchists’
SEATTLE — Following days of violent confrontations with protesters, police in Seattle have largely withdrawn from a neighborhood where protesters have created a festival-like scene that has President Donald Trump fuming.
Trump taunted Gov. Jay Inslee and Mayor Jenny Durkan about the situation on Twitter and said the city had been taken over by “anarchists.”
“Take back your city NOW. If you don’t do it, I will,” Trump tweeted.
The “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” sprung up after police on Monday removed barricades near the East Precinct and basically abandoned the structure after officers used tear gas, pepper spray and flash bangs over the weekend to disperse demonstrators they said were assaulting them with projectiles.
Inslee tweeted Thursday that state officials will not allow threats of military violence from the White House. “The U.S. military serves to protect Americans, not the fragility of an insecure president,” he tweeted.
The zone set up by protesters stretches across several blocks on Capitol Hill, where dozens of people show up to listen to speakers calling for police reform, racial justice and compensation for Native groups on whose land the city of Seattle was founded.
Signs proclaim “You are entering free Capitol Hill” and “No cop coop” along sidewalks where people sell water and other wares.
“The people that you see here have all come together because we see injustice in our system and we want to be part of the solution,” said Mark Henry Jr. of Black Lives Matter.
Over the weekend, police were criticized by City Council members and other elected leaders.
Police officials say they are looking to reopen the precinct. At a news conference Wednesday, Assistant Chief Deanna Nollette said the barriers were removed from the front of the building after it became a flashpoint between officers and protesters.
Nollette said the precinct has been boarded up because of credible threats that it would be vandalized or burned. She said protesters have set up their own barricades, which are intimidating some residents.
Police Chief Carmen Best posted a video message to officers Thursday in which she said the decision to leave the Capitol Hill precinct wasn’t hers and she was angry about it. She also reiterated that police had been harassed and assaulted during protests.
“Ultimately, the city had other plans for the building and relented to severe public pressure,” Best said. In other developments:
Charges have been upgraded against a 42-year-old man accused of deliberately running his ATV into an Atlanta police officer during a protest of police brutality and the death of George Floyd. In a statement Thursday, Atlanta police spokesman Carlos Campos said Avery Goggans, of Stone Mountain, faces new charges of aggravated assault, aggravated battery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said at a news conference Thursday that there will be legal consequences for the people who lassoed and pulled down a statue of Christopher Columbus on the Minnesota State Capitol grounds Wednesday in St. Paul. Meanwhile, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that he supports the statue of Columbus that stands in the middle of Columbus Circle in Manhattan.
A&E Network canceled the police reality series “Live PD” after the similar show “Cops,” on the air for 33 seasons, was dropped by the Paramount Network earlier this week.
Grammy-winning country group Lady Antebellum is changing its name to Lady A, with members saying they are regretful and embarrassed for not taking into consideration the word’s associations with slavery. The band, made up of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, made the announcement Thursday on their social media.
Workers on Thursday began removing the tall black chain-link fence from the north side of Lafayette Park, allowing access to the historic protest space directly in front of the White House.