#Seattle cops will only enter police-free zone for life and death emergencies

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An entrance to the the shrinking Capitol Hill Organized Protest.
Noah Riffe/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Seattle cops have agreed to only enter the shrinking Capitol Hill Organized Protest — aka the CHOP — to respond to “significant life-safety issues” according to the mayor’s office, The Seattle Times reported Wednesday.

“The Seattle Police Department’s definition of life-safety issues may include an active shooter incident, an assault, a structure fire, significant medical emergency (i.e. heart attack, stroke, trauma) and other incidents that threaten a person’s life safety,” Mayor Jenny Durkan’s office said in a statement.

The mayor’s office also defended the city’s response to the protest and targeted critics, including President Trump, who has ripped the mayor and movement, called Gov. Jay Inslee “a stiff” and repeatedly warned he would have the feds intervene if local authorities do not.

“Seattle Mayor says, about the anarchists takeover of her city, ‘it is a Summer of Love’. These Liberal Dems don’t have a clue. The terrorists burn and pillage our cities, and they think it is just wonderful, even the death. Must end this Seattle takeover now!” he tweeted last week.

“The Capitol Hill Organized Protest has emerged as a gathering place where community members can demand change of their local, state, and federal government. Capitol Hill and Cal Anderson Park have long been a gathering place for justice,” the statement continued.

“While there have been inaccurate and misleading depictions of the CHOP from the President and some national media, the City believes first amendment activities can continue while also maintaining public safety and allowing access for residents and businesses who operate in the area.”

Meanwhile, Seattle Department of Transportation workers spent Tuesday morning putting up new barriers in the zone that will shrink the area’s footprint to improve access for local and emergency vehicles, the paper reported.

Protesters have occupied the area for the past week as Seattle has become a flashpoint for protests against police brutality and racism after the May 25 killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

“Minor changes to the protest zone will implement safer and sturdier barriers to protect individuals in this area, allow traffic to move throughout the Capitol Hill neighborhood, ease access for residents of apartment building in the surrounding areas, and help local businesses manage deliveries and logistics,” the mayor’s statement read.

The barriers were also installed around the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct, which was boarded up after being the site of nearly two weeks of standoffs between cops and protesters.

Police Chief Carmen Best said this week the department was looking to city officials to negotiate with CHOP leaders about police returning to the building.

A man who gave his name as Cove, who’s been protesting and doing volunteer security work in the zone, said he agreed with the changes.

“The conversation between us and the city has been, ‘We want to support you, but at the same time it has to be safe,’” he told The Times. “We think it’s going to increase the safety aspect.”