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" zone, known as CHOP.
Seattle City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant joined a group of dozens of demonstrators gathered at Durkan's home who were holding signs, chanting, and demanding she leave the area alone or meet protesters' demands.
Durkan said last week that police would soon return to Seattle's East Precinct, which has been overrun by protesters who set up the CHOP zone, but gave no timetable.
Demonstrators have controlled the six-block area since June 8, saying they will not leave until the city meets a list of demands.
Demonstrators have controlled the six-block area since June 8, saying they will not leave until the city meets a list of demands.
Defunding the local police department by at least 50% is at the top of their list. Over the last several days, multiple instances of shootings, rape, and robbery have been reported inside or near CHOP, local police said.
As of Monday, the barricades guarding the area remain intact.
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. "Instead of working to make true change, Councilmember Sawant continues to choose political stunts. Tonight she did so without regard for the safety of the Mayor and her family. The Mayor was not even home — she was working at City Hall. Seattle can and should peacefully demonstrate but should not put families and children at risk."
Durkan's office said she supported peaceful forms of protest and the Black Lives Matter movement as a whole.
"Seattle has a long tradition of peaceful protest and advocacy for progressive change, and Mayor Durkan strongly supports those rights. Mayor Durkan will continue to listen to leaders in Seattle's Black community," the mayor's office said in a statement. "She is working hard to translate the calls for change into real, tangible systemic changes to policing and all the other systems needed for strong and healthy communities. She has prioritized these as Mayor, with investments in housing, education, youth opportunity, and economic equity. She proposes investing an additional $100 million into the Black community."
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