Seattle's mayor has put an end to the nonstop protest occupying the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood.
Mayor Jenny Durkan issued an executive order just before 5 a.m. Wednesday telling police to clear out the so-called Capitol Hill Organized Protest, where protesters against police brutality and racism had gathered for the past month. Seattle police, along with Bellevue police and the FBI, started moving in early Wednesday, and had arrested 31 people by 9:25 a.m., the police said.
More than 100 law enforcement officers moved into the CHOP zone Wednesday "equipped with body armor, batons, helmets and weapons," The Seattle Times reports. Most protesters packed up, and some declared, "we'll be back." Seattle police later said they had arrested 31 people for "failure to disperse, obstruction, assault, and unlawful weapon possession."
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Durkan had been relatively supportive of the protest during its first few weeks. But after "reported life safety, public health, and property issues," Durkan issued the order, she said Tuesday. Two people have died and several more had been injured since the first shooting inside the zone took place June 20. "Black lives matter, and I too want to help propel this movement toward meaningful change in our community. But enough is enough," Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said.
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