Police dispersed protesters in Seattle’s CHOP area and arrested at least 31 people
Police tweeted anyone who remains in the area or returns to it will be subject to arrest.
“Commanders have issued a dispersal order in accordance with the Mayor’s emergency order. All protestors are being asked to leave the immediate area within eight minutes. Safe exit is to the South and West,” police said.
“As I have said, and I will say again, I support peaceful demonstrations. Black Lives Matter, and I too want to help propel this movement toward meaningful change in our community. But enough is enough,” she said.
Dustin Akers, who lives in an apartment complex in the heart of the CHOP area, took several videos of police clearing the zone around 5 a.m. Wednesday.
Living in the area has been “incredibly unstable and violent around the clock for the past two weeks,” Akers told CNN.
“It started out well intentioned and then quickly took a turn for the worse. The occupied area is now empty with tents and supplies thrown everywhere.”
He also shared an excerpt that his apartment complex, Packard Building Apartments, owned by Equity Residential, shared with residents on June 30.
“Since the occupation of the streets surrounding our building, tenants have been subjected to violence, threats, vandalism, noise, lewd conduct, public defecation, daily fights and limited access to the building,” the complex wrote.
CNN’s Alisha Ebrahimji and Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.
