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100-603: Active Defunct Publications Works The Capitol Hill Occupied Protest ( CHOP ), also known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest , originally Free Capitol Hill , later the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone ( CHAZ ), was an occupation protest and self-declared autonomous zone in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle , Washington . The zone, originally covering two intersections at

200-415: A public development authority which owns 13 properties near the zone, called for its shutdown on June 30: "These residents have become victims of an occupation better characterized today by its violence, chaos and killings than anything else ... Forcing us to choose between anarchy and police brutality is a false dichotomy . Compassion and law-enforcement should not be mutually exclusive." On June 28,

300-408: A "grief ritual" to a dance party were held to observe Juneteenth . Occupants of the zone favored consensus decision-making in the form of general assembly , with daily meetings and discussion groups an alternative to designated leaders. Protesters held frequent town hall meetings to decide strategy and make plans. Seattle officials said that they saw no evidence of antifa groups organizing in

400-490: A blend of " Occupy Wall Street and a college cooperative dorm ." According to a June 16 Vox article, CHOP had evolved into "a center of peaceful protest, free political speech, co-ops, and community gardens" after protesters recovered from their initial confusion over the police decision to leave the precinct. On June 11, the SPD announced its desire to reenter the abandoned East Precinct building and said that it still operated in

500-481: A community vegetable garden was constructed. However the garden was unable to grow any food, so outside food had to be imported. The CHOP was a focus of national attention during its existence. On June 11, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan stated that the zone had a " block party " atmosphere; later, The New York Times contrasted Durkan's words with local business people's accounts of harassment, vandalism, and looting. The CHOP's size decreased following shootings in or near

600-520: A crusade to increase private profit at the expense of all other considerations, including the well-being and quality of life of the mass of the world's people," says Ronnie Hall, trade campaigner at Friends of the Earth International. "It seems to have a relentless drive to extend its power." On November 16, two weeks before the conference, President Bill Clinton issued Executive Order 13141—Environmental Review of Trade Agreements, which committed

700-609: A fire against the sally-port door of the East Precinct, while others attempted to bar the door so police could not escape. There was no significant damage, but they soon erected temporary cement barrier walls (which were later replaced by a tall security fence) to prevent further access to the building. Public hearings about the fate of the zone's public art and community garden began in August, and were expected to continue for several months. On December 16, 2020, an expected third "sweep" of

800-407: A future juvenile detention center, and the vehicles of several center employees were vandalized. Forty-seven people were arrested, and twenty-one police officers were injured. According to Crosscut , many protesters had participated in the understanding that the march's central issues (police brutality and federal overreach) were connected. The New York Times reported on August 7 that weeks after

900-512: A large permitted rally and march from Seattle Center to downtown . However, others were more interested in taking direct action , including both civil disobedience and acts of vandalism and property destruction to disrupt the meeting. Several groups were loosely organized together under the Direct Action Network (DAN), with a plan to disrupt the meetings by blocking streets and intersections downtown to prevent delegates from reaching

1000-404: A large tent encampment was set up on 11th Avenue between Pike and Pine Streets and half of Cal Anderson Park "turned into a huge tent encampment with a massive community garden." The zone's borders were not clearly defined, and shifted daily. Its size was reduced over time, with The Seattle Times reporting that the area had "shrunk considerably" by June 24. Demonstrators redirected their focus to

1100-565: A longer time period in more cities. This gained them worldwide attention. [REDACTED] Media related to Occupations (protests) at Wikimedia Commons 1999 Seattle WTO protests Active Defunct Publications Works The 1999 Seattle WTO protests , sometimes referred to as the Battle of Seattle , were a series of anti-globalization protests surrounding the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 , where members of

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1200-449: A lot of the current 'it's not safe' stuff comes from either people who aren't living in the neighborhood itself or from affluent new arrivals, or from business owners." Some protesters lived in tents inside the zone. Outside the zone, urban camping was illegal in Seattle but the law was seldom enforced. On June 13, Black Lives Matter protesters negotiated with local officials about leaving

1300-516: A major clash took place on Broadway in the vicinity of Denny Way, involving rocks, bottles, and police concussion grenades. It did not involve a black bloc, but appears to have included local residents, although it is known that many local residents were treated as protesters, even being teargassed, despite having no part in the protests. Police called in from other cities mistook the typically crowded streets of Capitol Hill as groups of protesters. More than 500 people were jailed on Wednesday. Throughout

1400-473: A man drove his vehicle toward a crowd near 11th Avenue and Pine Street and shot a protester who tried to stop him. Tear gas , flash-bangs and pepper spray were used by police in the densely populated residential neighborhood. On June 7, the SPD reported that protesters were throwing rocks, bottles, and fireworks, and were shining green lasers into officers' eyes. The next day, the SPD vacated and boarded up its East Precinct building in an effort to de-escalate

1500-602: A means of achieving change, emerged from worker struggles that sought everything from higher wages to the abolition of capitalism. Often called a sit-down strike , it is a form of civil disobedience in which an organized group of workers, usually employed at a factory or other centralized location, take possession of the workplace by "sitting down" at their stations, effectively preventing their employers from replacing them with strikebreakers or, in some cases, moving production to other locations. The recovered factories in Argentina

1600-566: A music festival), advocated more confrontational tactics, and conducted vandalism of corporate properties in downtown Seattle. In a subsequent communique, they listed the particular corporations targeted, which they considered to have committed corporate crime. On July 12, the Financial Times reported that the latest United Nations Human Development report advocated "principles of performance for multinationals on labour standards, fair trade and environmental protection ... needed to counter

1700-475: A number of protesters still controlled the intersections using lockdown formations. That morning, the King County Sheriff's Office and Seattle Police Department fired pepper spray , tear gas canisters, and stun grenades at protesters at several intersections in an attempt to reopen the blocked streets and allow as many WTO delegates as possible through the blockade. At 6th Avenue and Union Street,

1800-416: A press conference that police would reoccupy the East Precinct "peacefully and in the near future"; no specific timeline was given. CNN quoted " de facto CHOP leader" hip-hop artist Raz Simone two days later as saying that "a lot of people are going to leave; a lot of people already left" the zone. That day, Durkan proposed a police hiring freeze and a $ 20 million cut to the SPD budget (about a 5% reduction for

1900-602: A shop owned by a relative of a police officer who fatally shot Charleena Lyles, a pregnant black woman, at her home in 2017. On July 25, several thousand protesters gathered in the Capitol Hill neighborhood for demonstrations in solidarity with Portland, Oregon . Tensions had escalated in Portland in early July after the Trump administration deployed federal forces against the wishes of local officials, sparking controversy and regenerating

2000-455: A state of emergency, imposed a curfew , and a 50-block "no-protest zone." Overnight, the governor of Washington , Gary Locke , called in two battalions of Army National Guardsmen , other law enforcement agencies sent support, and before daylight on Wednesday, troops and officers lined the perimeter of the no-protest zone. Police surrounded and arrested several groups of would-be protesters (and more than one bystander). Beginning at 21:00,

2100-432: A student march from the north, a march of citizens of the developing world who marched in from the south and, beginning around 09:00, militant anarchists (in a formation known as a black bloc ) marching down Pike Street from 6th Avenue, blockading the streets with newspaper boxes and smashing windows. Some demonstrators held rallies, others held teach-ins and at least one group staged an early-morning street party. Meanwhile,

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2200-764: A total of $ 250,000. On January 30, 2007, a federal jury found that the city had violated protesters' Fourth Amendment constitutional rights by arresting them without probable cause or evidence. Inspired by these protests, a similar one occurred in Prague in September 2000. Around 12,000 activists gathered to protest during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank summit on September 27, 2000. DeLuca, Kevin Michael; Peeples, Jennifer (June 2002). "From Public Sphere to Public Screen: Democracy, Activism, and

2300-469: A variety of food from seedlings. The gardens were inaugurated with a basil plant introduced by Marcus Henderson, a resident of Seattle's Columbia City neighborhood. Activists expanded the gardens, which were segregated by race and self-proclaimed as being "cultivated by and for BIPOC " and included signs heralding black agriculturalists and commemorating victims of police violence. Henderson established his gardening movement as Black Star Farmers, and after

2400-526: Is an example of workplace occupations moving beyond addressing workplace grievances, to demanding a change in ownership of the means of production. Another example was when workers in Sydney, Australia occupied and ran the Harco Steel Factory in 1971 for four weeks after the owner laid off employees. With the workplace under their control they introduced the 35 hour working week. The Industrial Workers of

2500-412: Is defined by an extended temporality and is usually located in specific places. In many cases local governments declare occupations illegal because protesters seek to control space over a prolonged time. As such, occupations are often in conflict with political authorities and forces of established order, especially the police. These confrontations in particular attract media attention. Occupation, as

2600-608: Is enough. We need to be able to get back into the area." On July 1, after Durkan issued an executive order, Seattle police cleared the area of protesters and reclaimed the East Precinct station. Protests continued in Seattle and at the CHOP site over the following days and months. Capitol Hill is a densely populated residential district on a steep hill just east of Seattle's downtown business district, known for its prominent LGBT and counterculture communities and its vibrant nightlife. The Seattle Police Department had been protested against in

2700-423: Is said that the violence served as a dense surface that opened viewers' and readers' minds to a whole new way of thinking about globalization and corporations' operations. That is, not only was this violence contained within the familiar setting of television, and not only did it meet the criteria of being dramatic and emotional enough to warrant air time, but it also shattered preconceived notions of globalization and

2800-571: The 1999 WTO protests and Occupy Seattle . The city is home to several cultural institutions created by occupation protests, including the Northwest African American Museum , the Daybreak Star Cultural Center and El Centro de la Raza . Protests over the murder of George Floyd and police brutality began in Seattle on May 29, 2020. Street clashes occurred in greater Seattle for nine days involving protesters,

2900-551: The Arab Spring and the Indignados movement of Spain, started a global movement in which the occupation of public spaces is a key tactic. During these protests in 2011, the tactic of occupation was used in a new way as protesters wanted to remain indefinitely until they were heard, resisting police and government officials who wanted to evict them. In contrast to earlier protest encampments these occupations mobilized more people during

3000-489: The Times printed a correction saying that the protest was mostly peaceful and no protesters were accused of throwing objects at delegates or the police, but the original error persisted in later accounts in the mainstream media. The Seattle City Council dispelled the reports with its own investigation findings: The level of panic among police is evident from radio communication and from their inflated crowd estimates, which exceed

3100-743: The World Trade Organization (WTO) convened at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle , Washington on November 30, 1999. The Conference was to be the launch of a new millennial round of trade negotiations. The negotiations were quickly overshadowed by massive street protests outside the hotels and the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. The protests were nicknamed " N30 ", akin to J18 and similar mobilizations, and were deemed controversial by

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3200-784: The Boeing story attributed it to Joe Hill (a union organizer who had been executed by firing squad in Utah in 1915). On the same day, the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development reported: developing countries have remained steadfast in their demand that developed countries honour Uruguay Round commitments before moving forward full force with new trade negotiations. Specifically, developing countries are concerned over developed countries' compliance with agreements on market access for textiles, their use of antidumping measures against developing countries' exports, and over-implementation of

3300-604: The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) was most common at the outset, along with "Free Capitol Hill". By its second week, the area was more often referred to as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP). On June 13, a group of several dozen protest leaders agreed to change the name from CHAZ to CHOP. The name change was the result of a consensus to de-emphasize occupation and improve accuracy. According to TechCrunch , participants decided to change

3400-445: The East Precinct on June 23, when "the Capitol Hill protest zone camp cleared parts of its Cal Anderson Park core." On June 30, police and other city employees removed a number of concrete barricades and concentrated others closer to the East Precinct. That day, notices were posted announcing a noon closure of Cal Anderson Park for cleaning and repairs; the garden and art created by protesters would be undisturbed. The remaining territory

3500-470: The East Precinct, starting a small fire which was rapidly extinguished. Donnitta Sinclair Martin, the mother of Lorenzo Anderson, filed a wrongful death claim against the city that the police and fire department had failed to protect or provide medical assistance for her son and city decisions had created a dangerous environment. A group of 150 people returned to the Capitol Hill neighborhood late at night on July 23 and vandalized several businesses, including

3600-575: The London Independent newspaper savaged the WTO and appeared to side with the organizers of the rapidly developing storm of protest: The way it has used [its] powers is leading to a growing suspicion that its initials should really stand for World Take Over. In a series of rulings it has struck down measures to help the world's poor, protect the environment, and safeguard health in the interests of private—usually American—companies. "The WTO seems to be on

3700-519: The Police Department." More than one hundred police officers, with help from the FBI , moved into the area and tweeted a warning that anyone remaining or returning would be subject to arrest. Forty-four people were arrested by the end of the day, and another twenty-five were arrested overnight. The SPD posted a YouTube video depicting violent incidents in the Capitol Hill area. Police maintained roadblocks in

3800-555: The Seattle Parks & Recreation Department announced their intent to remove the Black Lives Memorial Garden in favor of a "turf renovation" project for the site. The department, backed by SPD, bulldozed the garden at 6am on 27 December 2023. The intersection of 12th and Pine was converted into a square for teach-ins (where a microphone was used for organizing) and to encourage those with destructive intentions to leave

3900-612: The Seattle Police Department, the Washington State Patrol and the Washington National Guard . The zone's formation was preceded by a week of tense interactions in the Capitol Hill neighborhood beginning on June 1, when protesters and police in riot gear began facing off at a police barricade near the SPD's East Precinct building after a child was pepper sprayed and police refused to let paramedics treat

4000-739: The United States to a policy of "assessment and consideration of the environmental impacts of trade agreements" and stated, "Trade agreements should contribute to the broader goal of sustainable development." Activists staged a spoof of Seattle daily newspaper the Post-Intelligencer on Wednesday November 24, inserting thousands of hoax editions of a four-page front-page wrap-around into piles of newspapers awaiting distribution to hundreds of street boxes and retail outlets. The spoof front-page stories were "Boeing to move overseas" (to Indonesia) and "Clinton pledges help for poorest nations". The byline on

4100-485: The United States. Though media coverage of the Battle in Seattle condemned the violence of some of the protesters, the nature of this violence has been justified by some people. Specifically, the violence employed was not person-to-person violence, but "acts directed toward property, not people." Though many still denounced the violent tactics used by protesters, this violence clearly resulted in increased media coverage of

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4200-521: The WTO Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs). On the morning of Tuesday, November 30, 1999, the DAN's plan was put into effect. Several hundred activists arrived in the deserted streets near the convention center and began to take control of key intersections. Over the next few hours, a number of marchers began to converge on the area from different directions. These included

4300-607: The WTO. Previous mass demonstrations had taken place in Australia in December 1997, in which newly formed grass-roots organizations blockaded Melbourne, Perth , Sydney, and Darwin city centers. Controversy over the city's response to the protests resulted in the resignation of the police chief of Seattle, Norm Stamper , and arguably played a role in Schell's loss to Greg Nickels in the 2001 mayoral primary election. The massive size of

4400-921: The World were the first American union to use it, while the United Auto Workers staged successful sit-down strikes in the 1930s, most famously in the Flint Sit-Down Strike of 1936–1937. Sit-down strikes were declared illegal by the United States Supreme Court, but are still used by unions such as the UMWA in the Pittston strike , and the workers at the Republic Windows and Doors factory in Chicago. The Occupy Wall Street movement, inspired amongst others by

4500-450: The Zone] that members of the right-wing group Proud Boys were going to move into the protest area to set fires and stir chaos." CNN later called Simone the zone's " de facto leader", which he denied. Unbeknownst to the public at the time, Raz was in contact with Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins during his time in CHOP. Simone left the area around July 15. The protest area had several names;

4600-407: The area and restricted access to local residents, workers and business owners; some of the latter alleged that the police presence discouraged customers. Street protests continued after the zone was cleared. Protests continued in Seattle and at the CHOP site over the following days and months. The SPD reported vandalism in the Capitol Hill area during the night of July 19; fireworks were thrown into

4700-487: The area had an uptick in walk-up business and a corresponding reduction in delivery costs. USA Today reported three days later that most businesses in the zone had closed, "although a liquor store, ramen restaurant and taco joint are still doing brisk business." According to The New York Times , "business crashed". Vegetable gardens had materialized by June 11 in Cal Anderson Park, where activists attempted to grow

4800-500: The area). The revised barrier spacing provided improved access for business deliveries, and the design offered space for decoration by artists affiliated with the protests. The new layout was posted on Durkan's blog: "The City is committed to maintaining space for community to come to together, protest and exercise their first amendment rights. Minor changes to the protest zone will implement safer and sturdier barriers to protect individuals in this area." KIRO-FM reported that on June 17,

4900-488: The area. An area at 11th and Pine was set aside as the "Decolonization Conversation Café", a discussion area with daily topics. An outdoor cinema with a sound system and projector was set up on June 9 and screened films, including 13th (a 2016 documentary by Ava DuVernay about racism and mass incarceration) and Paris Is Burning , a 1990 documentary by Jennie Livingston . The Marshall Law Band (a Seattle-based hip-hop fusion group) began performing for protesters during

5000-446: The band found themselves in the line of fire. They kept performing, even when there was tear gas in the air and rubber bullets being fired. The band continued playing regularly once the CHOP was established. In November 2020, Marshall Law Band released an album called 12th & Pine about their experience as the "House band of the CHOP". A block-long Black Lives Matter street mural , on East Pine Street between 10th and 11th Avenues,

5100-440: The building's external wall or to nearby tents. Later that day, Durkan visited the zone and told a New York Times reporter that she was unaware of any serious crime reported in the area. Most of the people interviewed by Vox had participated in the protests but did not feel safe walking in the area at night, especially in late June. One Capitol Hill resident noted a difference in perspective between outsiders and residents: "I feel

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5200-420: The child. The SPD used dispersal tactics, including blast balls , flash-bangs and pepper spray . On June 5, Mayor Jenny Durkan and SPD Chief Carmen Best announced a 30-day ban on the use of tear gas . A group of public representatives (including four City Council -members, a King County Council -member, state Senator Joe Nguyen and state Representative Nicole Macri ) joined demonstrators on June 6 on

5300-490: The city in 2020 for damages relating to government conduct during the protests. A federal judge found that the mayor, police chief, and other government officials then illegally deleted tens of thousands of text messages relating to government handling of CHOP. In 2022, the city settled a lawsuit with the Seattle Times for $ 200,000 over its handling of deleted texts and agreed to improve its record-keeping practices. The zone

5400-546: The convention center, where the meeting was to be held. The black bloc was not affiliated with DAN, but was responding to the original call for autonomous resistance actions on November 30 issued by People's Global Action . Of the different coalitions that aligned in protest were the "teamsters and turtles" – a blue–green alliance consisting of the teamsters (trade unions) and environmentalists. Certain activists, including locals and an additional group of anarchists from Eugene, Oregon (where they had gathered that summer for

5500-549: The corners of Cal Anderson Park and the roads leading up to them, was established on June 8, 2020, by people protesting the May 2020 killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota . The zone was cleared of occupants by police on July 1, 2020. The formation of the zone was preceded by tense interactions between protesters and police in riot gear which began on June 1, 2020. The situation escalated on June 7 after

5600-491: The crowd threw objects back at the police. By late morning, the black bloc had swelled to 200 people and smashed dozens of shops and police cars. This seems to have set off a chain reaction of sorts, with previously nonviolent protesters throwing bottles at police and joining in the vandalism shortly before noon. The police were eventually overwhelmed by the mass of protesters downtown, including many who had chained themselves together and were blocking intersections. Meanwhile,

5700-545: The day, police used tear gas to disperse crowds downtown, although a permitted demonstration organized by the Steelworkers Union was held along the waterfront. Protests continued the following days. Thousands demonstrated outside the Seattle Police Department protesting their tactics and arrests of peaceful protestors. President Clinton arrived and attended the conference. On December 3 the conference ended as delegations were unable to reach agreements, partly in response to

5800-424: The decision to withdraw to an unnamed SPD on-scene commander. Over a year later, a KUOW report identified Assistant Chief Tom Mahaffey as the one who made the decision, revealing that he had done so without the knowledge of Best or Durkan. On June 8, 2020, after the SPD had vacated the East Precinct station, protesters moved into the Capitol Hill area. They positioned street barricades in a one-block radius around

5900-496: The demonstrations, and members of the Seattle City Council questioned how many weapons had been thrown at police. Police boarded up and vacated the East Precinct during the afternoon of June 8, which Best described as an effort to "de-escalate the situation and rebuild trust". It remained unclear days later who had decided to retreat from the East Precinct, since Chief Best did not admit responsibility. Durkan later attributed

6000-429: The dissipation of the CHOP launched a GoFundMe to continue the work. After the park was cleared on July 1, he called supporters of the garden to help him advocate to the city that they allow it to remain as the Black Lives Memorial Garden. The effort succeeded as perhaps the least controversial proposition for how to make use of the public space in Cal Anderson Park after the CHOP's closure. However, in early October 2023,

6100-501: The driver left the vehicle with a gun and walked towards the police line, where he was taken into custody without incident. It later became known that the shooter's brother worked at the East Precinct. After midnight on June 8, police reported that protesters were throwing bottles, rocks and fireworks. The SPD resumed the use of tear gas (despite the mayor's ban), and used pepper spray and flash-bangs against protesters at 11th and Pine. Over 12,000 complaints were filed about police response to

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6200-455: The early morning of June 29, a fourth shooting left a 16-year-old boy dead and a 14-year-old boy in critical condition with gunshot wounds. Calling the situation "dangerous and unacceptable", Best told reporters: "Enough is enough. We need to be able to get back into the area." At 5:28 a.m. on July 1, Durkan issued an executive order that "gathering in this area [is] an unlawful assembly requiring immediate action from city agencies, including

6300-466: The effects of violence on media coverage, the 2001 WTO meeting in Doha, Qatar, included no reports of violence. As a result, "there was absolutely no TV evening news coverage by the four major networks." This coverage did not center exclusively on the violence. Instead, details of the protesters' message and antiglobalization campaign were included along with the discussions of symbolic violence taking place. It

6400-438: The event. The WTO meeting had an increase in evening news airtime from 10 minutes and 40 seconds on the first day of the meeting to 17 minutes on the first day of violence. In addition, WTO coverage was the lead or second story on CNN , ABC , CBS , and NBC after violence was reported. Two days after the start of violence, the meeting remained the top story on three of the four networks. Though these numbers alone are telling,

6500-411: The front lines in response to citizen requests, when officers again used flash-bangs and pepper spray to control the crowd. On June 7, Police installed sturdier barricades around the East Precinct and boarded up its windows. The situation intensified after 8 pm, when a demonstrator was shot while trying to slow down a vehicle speeding toward a crowd of 1,000 protesters on 11th Avenue and East Pine Street;

6600-440: The late-morning labor-organized rally and march drew tens of thousands; though the intended march route had them turning back before they reached the convention center, some ignored the marshals and joined what had become a chaotic scene downtown. At noon, the opening ceremony at the convention center was officially canceled. It took police much of the afternoon and evening to clear the streets. Seattle mayor Paul Schell declared

6700-425: The mayor met with protesters and informed them that the city planned to remove most barricades and limit the activist area to the East Precinct building and the street in front of it. That day, CHOP organizers expressed their intention to refocus on the area near the police station and away from the sprawling encampment at Cal Anderson Park after it became a political liability and they struggled to maintain security. In

6800-514: The media coverage of subsequent demonstrations that did not include violence by protesters shows even more the effect of violence on coverage. For example, the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (WB/ IMF ) meetings in the spring showed a "coverage pattern that was almost the reverse of that in Seattle" and that "suggests the crucial role of violence in garnering time on the public screen." In an even more striking example of

6900-502: The media. The large scale of the demonstrations, estimated at no fewer than 40,000 protesters, dwarfed any previous demonstration in the United States against a world meeting of any of the organizations generally associated with economic globalization , such as the WTO, the International Monetary Fund , and the World Bank . Planning for the actions began months in advance and included local, national, and international organizations. Among

7000-573: The most notable participants were national and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as Global Exchange (especially those concerned with labor issues, the environment, and consumer protection), labor unions (including the AFL–CIO ), student groups, religion-based groups ( Jubilee 2000 ), and anarchists (some of whom formed a black bloc ). The protests also drew support from some political conservatives, such as American presidential candidate and commentator Pat Buchanan . The coalition

7100-684: The name to "the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest—then, noting the fact that Seattle itself is an 'occupation' of native land, change the O to Organized." During the second week of formation, a number of media outlets reported on the name change including The Seattle Times on June 14; KING-TV , KUOW , The Stranger , and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer on June 15; Vox on June 16; and Crosscut on June 17. Occupation (protest) Unlike other forms of protest like demonstrations , marches and rallies, occupation

7200-413: The negative effects of globalisation on the poorest nations". The report itself argued, "An essential aspect of global governance is responsibility to people—to equity, to justice, to enlarging the choices of all". On July 16, Helene Cooper of The Wall Street Journal warned of an impending "massive mobilization against globalization" being planned for the end-of-year Seattle WTO conference. Next day,

7300-405: The numbers shown on news videotapes. ARC investigators found the rumors of "Molotov cocktails" and sale of flammables from a supermarket had no basis in fact. But, rumors were important in contributing to the police sense of being besieged and in considerable danger. An article in the magazine The Nation disputed that Molotov cocktails have ever been thrown at an antiglobalization protest within

7400-520: The occupation near their homes: "What you want from a home is a stress-free environment. You want to be able to sleep well, you want to feel comfortable and we just don't feel comfortable right now." The station reported receiving anonymous emails from other residents expressing "real concerns". On June 18, black protesters reportedly expressed unease about the zone and its use of Black Lives Matter slogans. According to NPR , "Black activists say there must be follow-through to make sure their communities remain

7500-424: The park was met with resistance by the community. People created makeshift barriers and thwarted SPD's attempts to enter the park. While a federal court considered a temporary restraining order preventing the city from raiding the park, protesters took advantage of the turnout to occupy a private building owned by a real estate developer across the street from the northern end of the park. Several business owners sued

7600-467: The past. In 1965, during the civil rights movement after an unarmed black man was shot by an SPD officer, community leaders followed police in "freedom patrols" to observe (and record) their interactions with the Black community. Since 2012, the SPD had been under federal oversight after it had been found to use excessive force and biased policing. Seattle had been the location of other mass protests, such as

7700-563: The practices of corporations that drive so much of America's economy. To many in North American anarchist and radical circles, the Seattle WTO riots, protests, and demonstrations were viewed as a success. Prior to the "Battle of Seattle", almost no mention was made of "antiglobalization" in the US media, while the protests were seen as having forced the media to report on 'why' anybody would oppose

7800-418: The precinct into a community center for restorative justice . Police were not welcome within the CHOP. On June 10, about 1,000 protesters marched into Seattle City Hall demanding Durkan's resignation. Observers described early zone activity on June 11 as a hybrid of other movements, with an atmosphere which was "part protest, part commune "; a cross between "a sit-in , a protest and summer festival"; or

7900-482: The priority in a majority-white protest movement whose camp has taken on the feel of a neighborhood block party that's periodically interrupted by chants of 'Black Lives Matter! ' " The CHOP's size continued to shrink after shootings in or near the zone on June 20, 21, and 23. The Star Tribune reported on June 22 that at night, the atmosphere within the zone became charged as demonstrators marched and armed volunteer guards kept watch. On June 22, Durkan and Best said in

8000-424: The protest added $ 3 million to the city's estimated meeting budget of $ 6 million, partly due to city cleanup and police overtime bills. In addition, the damage to commercial businesses from vandalism and lost sales has been estimated at $ 20 million. On January 16, 2004, the city of Seattle settled with 157 individuals arrested outside of the no-protest zone during the WTO events, agreeing to pay them

8100-569: The protests, several blocks remained boarded up and many business owners were afraid to speak out about their experiences. Carmen Best resigned as the chief of police three days later, after the Seattle City Council voted to downsize the department by up to 100 out of its 1,400 officers. On Monday, August 24, following a night of protest against the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin; Alaska resident Desmond David-Pitts helped set

8200-437: The protests. Confrontations with the police continued, albeit at a lower intensity. The primary goal of disrupting the trade talks achieved, some sought the horizons of possibility; it was determined quickly that the necessary ambition to achieve the broader goals of various anarchist factions was not sufficient. The New York Times published false reports that protesters threw Molotov cocktails at police. Two days later,

8300-474: The protests. The Department of Homeland Security deployed an undisclosed number of federal agents in Seattle on July 23, without notifying local officials, adding to resident unease. An initially peaceful march during the early afternoon of July 25 by the Youth Liberation Front was designated a riot by the SPD after several businesses were destroyed, fires were started in five construction trailers near

8400-432: The rest of 2020) to compensate for a revenue shortfall and unforeseen expenses due to the pandemic. During a public-comment period, community members said that the budget cut should be larger and SPD funds should be redirected to housing and healthcare. Twelve businesses, residents and property owners filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court against the city, which they said had deprived them of due process by permitting

8500-408: The situation. After the SPD had vacated the East Precinct station, protesters moved into the Capitol Hill area. They repositioned street barricades in a one-block radius around the station and declared the area "Free Capitol Hill". The protest area was later renamed the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP). The zone was a self-organized space without official leadership. Police were not welcome within

8600-403: The station, and declared the area "Free Capitol Hill". Mayor Durkan called the zone an attempt to "de-escalate interactions between protesters and law enforcement", and Best said that her officers would look at approaches to "reduce [their] footprint" in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. City Council member Kshama Sawant spoke to occupants of Cal Anderson Park on June 8 and urged protesters to turn

8700-516: The week of June 1–8 when protesters were confronting police at what was known as "the Western barricade" due to it being one block West of the entrance to the East Precinct . During this week, they played several hour sets with a sign of the protest demands near the stage every single night. The stage was close enough to the barricade that at times when relations between the protesters and cops got violent

8800-411: The zone as police abolition in practice, reporting that police generally did not respond to calls in the zone. Misinformation about its governance circulated. Conservative journalist Andy Ngo shared a video on June 15 of Seattle-based hip hop artist Raz Simone handing a rifle from the trunk of his car to another protester on June 8 (the day the zone was established) after "rumors developed [within

8900-410: The zone on June 20, 21, and 23. On June 28, Durkan met with protesters and informed them that the city planned to remove most barricades and limit the area of the zone. In the early morning of June 29, a fourth shooting left a black 16-year-old boy dead and a black 14-year-old boy in critical condition. Calling the situation "dangerous and unacceptable", police chief Carmen Best told reporters: "Enough

9000-526: The zone to provide basic health care, and the Seattle Department of Transportation provided portable toilets. The city provided waste removal, additional portable toilets and fire and rescue services , and the SPD said that it responded to 911 calls in the zone. The King County public health department provided COVID-19 testing in Cal Anderson Park for a period of time during the protests. On June 11, The Seattle Times reported that restaurant owners in

9100-648: The zone was marked by a barrier reading "You Are Entering Free Capitol Hill". Other signs read, "You are now leaving the USA" and "Welcome to the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone". Signage on the police station was modified as protesters rebranded it the "Seattle People's Department". On June 16, after city officials agreed with protest organizers about a new footprint, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) installed concrete barriers wrapped in plywood in several areas along Pine Street and 10th and 12th Avenues (shrinking

9200-451: The zone, but some small-business owners blamed antifa for violence and intimidating their patrons. SPD Chief Carmen Best said on June 15, "There is no cop-free zone in the city of Seattle", indicating that officers would go into the zone if there were threats to public safety. "I think that the picture has been painted in many areas that shows the city is under siege," she added. "That is not the case." On August 7, The New York Times described

9300-509: The zone. Protesters demanded that Seattle's police budget be decreased by 50%, that funding be shifted to community programs and services in "historically black communities", and that CHOP protesters not be charged with crimes. Participants created a block-long "Black Lives Matter" mural , provided free film screenings in the street, and performed live music. A "No Cop Co-op" was formed, with food, hand sanitizer and other supplies. Areas were set up for public speakers and to facilitate discourse, and

9400-450: The zone. Saying that they did not want "to undermine CHOP participants' message or present a counter-message", the plaintiffs alleged that their legal rights were "overrun" by the city's "unprecedented decision to abandon and close off an entire city neighborhood" and isolate them from city services. They sought compensation for property damage and lost business and property rights, and restoration of full public access. Community Roots Housing,

9500-470: The zone. The CHOP's size decreased four days later (when roadblocks were moved). On June 15, armed members of the Proud Boys appeared in the zone at a Capitol Hill rally. On June 16, an agreement was reached between CHOP representatives and the city to "rezone" the occupied area to allow better street access for businesses and local services. The next day, KING-TV reported that some residents were uneasy with

9600-464: The zone; according to Washington governor Jay Inslee , the zone was "un-permitted" but "largely peaceful". The next day, Best said: "Rapes, robberies and all sorts of violent acts have been occurring in the area and we have not been able to get to it." During the early morning of June 12, Isaiah Thomas Willoughby, a former Seattle resident, set a fire at the East Precinct building and walked away; community residents extinguished it before it spread beyond

9700-482: Was cleared by Seattle police on July 1, and Cal Anderson Park was reportedly closed for repairs. Protesters established the No Cop Co-op on June 9, offering free water, hand sanitizer, kebabs and snacks donated by the community. Stalls offered vegan curry, and others collected donations for the homeless . Organizers pitched tents next to the former precinct to hold the space. Two medical stations were established in

9800-442: Was initially centered around the East Precinct building, and barriers were set up on Pine Street for several blocks to stop incoming vehicles. The early territory reportedly encompassed five-and-a-half city blocks, including Cal Anderson Park (already active with demonstrators). It stretched north to East Denny Way , east to 12th Avenue (and part of 13th Avenue), south to East Pike , and west to Broadway . On June 9, one entrance to

9900-475: Was loose, with some opponent groups focused on opposition to WTO policies (especially those related to free trade ), with others motivated by prolabor, anticapitalist , or environmental agendas. Many of the NGOs represented at the protests came with credentials to participate in the official meetings, while also planning various educational and press events. The AFL–CIO, with cooperation from its member unions, organized

10000-446: Was painted on June 10 and 11. Individual letters of the mural were painted by local artists of color, and supplies were purchased with donations from demonstrators and passersby. Visitors lit candles and left flowers at three shrines with photographs and notes expressing sentiments related to George Floyd and other victims of police brutality. Persons for whom shrines, murals, and/or vigils were created: On June 19, events ranging from

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