Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone
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Coordinates: 47°36′54.5″N 122°19′2.83″W / 47.615139°N 122.3174528°W
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Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone | |
|---|---|
![Streetmap of area surrounding Free Capitol Hill as of June 10, 2020[1] Click here for interactive map](/File:CapitolHillAutonomousZoneMap10Jun20.jpg) Streetmap of area surrounding Free Capitol Hill as of June 10, 2020[1] Click here for interactive map | |
| Location | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Government | Self-declared anarchist commune and partially autonomous intentional community |
| Establishment | |
• Declared | June 8, 2020 |
| Membership | ~300[2] |
Template:Campaignbox George Floyd protests
The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone[3] (CHAZ[3] or the Zone[4]), also known as Free Capitol Hill,[5] is a self-declared intentional community and commune of around 300 residents,[2] covering approximately ten city blocks in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington.[6] The zone was established on June 8, 2020 after the East Precinct building was abandoned by the Seattle Police Department.
History[edit]
Background[edit]
Capitol Hill is a district in downtown Seattle known for its prominent LGBT and counterculture communities. The district had previously been a center for other mass protests, such as the 1999 Seattle WTO protests.[7]
On May 29, 2020, protests began in Seattle following the murder of George Floyd.
Foundation[edit]
After days of protests commemorating George Floyd and condemning police brutality outside of the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct building,[3] Mayor Jenny Durkan announced her intent to "de-escalate interactions" and limit police presence in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Following a "police retreat,"[5] citizens erected street barricades and declared the area the "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone."[5]
Territory[edit]
The Zone is centered around the East Precinct building. It stretches north to East Denny Way, east to 13th Avenue, south to East Pike, and west to Broadway. The entirety of Cal Anderson Park falls inside of the zone.[8] Maps of the territory were displayed on OpenStreetMap and Wikipedia.[9]
Protesters concerned about the potential for a vehicle attack[4] used blockades and fences to construct staggered barricades at intersections.[10] The entrance of the Zone's territory is marked by a barrier reading "You Are Entering Free Capitol Hill",[5] an homage to Northern Ireland's Free Derry.[11] Other signs declared "You are now leaving the USA."[9][12]
Internal governance[edit]
The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone has no centralized system of governance, operating as a de facto anarchist region. Occupants have stated their intentions of creating a neighborhood beyond policing and a society where the police are no longer necessary.[10][13] Members of the self-described anti-fascist, anti-racist, pro-worker Puget Sound John Brown Gun Club were seen open-carrying rifles in the zone.[14]
Reporters from a local Seattle-based Fox News affiliate were removed from the Zone by occupants.[15]
Culture and amenities[edit]
Tents were pitched next to the former precinct in order to hold the space. The No Cop Co-op was established on June 9, offering free water, hand sanitizer, snacks donated by the community, and kebabs. The intersection of 12th and Pine was converted to a square for teach-ins, where a microphone was used to encourage people who were there "to fuck shit up" to go home. An outdoor cinema with a sound system and projector was set up[16] and used to screen open-air movies. The first film shown was 13th, Ava DuVernay's documentary about race and mass incarceration.[16] Portable toilets were provided by the Seattle Department of Transportation.[16] Peaceful demonstrations have been staged and organized, including "an invasion" of the Seattle City Hall, demanding the resignation of Jenny Durkan.[17] City services are still being provided to the zone, including fire and trash removal, and the Seattle Police Department has stated that they will respond to 911 calls in the zone.[15]
Many occupants of the Zone have adopted a pink umbrella as an unofficial emblem.[9] Homemade riot shields crafted by the protesters were stenciled with pink umbrellas.[8]
Reactions[edit]
Mayor Durkan has stated that she will "de-escalate the situation" within the Zone,[18][8] while Seattle police chief Carmen Best said that her officers would look at different approaches to "reduce [their] footprint" in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.[19] Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant (a member of Socialist Alternative) spoke to the Zone occupants at Cal Anderson Park on June 8, 2020.[8] She called for the protesters to turn the precinct into a community center for restorative justice.[16]
On June 9, Senator Ted Cruz from Texas stated that the Zone was "endangering people's lives".[20]
Recognition[edit]
The Autonomous Zone has received recognition from the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) union and has been praised by IWW's Industrial Worker magazine.[10]
See also[edit]
- Freetown Christiania
- Paris Commune
- Counter-economics
- List of anarchist communities
- Cascadia (independence movement)
- Temporary Autonomous Zone
References[edit]
- ↑ Map data sourced from @PartyPrat, as published by James 2020. Confirmation by @basicflowrrr
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Abolish police, get Antifa: Militants take over a neighbourhood". The Daily Telegraph. June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Eustachewich, Lia (June 10, 2020). "Seattle protesters march on city hall to demand Mayor Durkan's resignation". New York Post. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
The protesters left peacefully around 10 p.m., with some convening on Capitol Hill — in an area dubbed “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” or CHAZ — outside the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct. A screen that was set up played the movie “13th,” the Seattle Times reported.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Get In the Zone: A Report from the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone in Seattle". It's Going Down. June 9, 2020.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Burns, C., Keiming, J., and Smith, R. (June 9, 2020). "The Dawn of "Free Capitol Hill"". The Stranger. Retrieved June 9, 2020.CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
- ↑ Beekman, Daniel (9 June 2020). "Protesters and ACLU sue Seattle, blame mayor and police chief for 'unnecessary violence' at demonstrations". The Seattle Times. Seattle. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
- ↑ "WTO 20: Return to the battle for Capitol Hill". Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. December 1, 2019. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "'Welcome to Free Capitol Hill' — Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone forms around emptied East Precinct — UPDATE". Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Dwilson, Stephanie Dube (June 10, 2020). "'You're Now Leaving the USA': Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone Declared in Seattle". Heavy.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 James, J. F. (June 9, 2020). "The Birth of the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone". Industrial Worker. Industrial Workers of the World. Archived from the original on 2020-06-10. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ↑ Mac Cuarta, Anraoi (November 1973). "Saor Dhoire". Comhar. 32 (11): 4–9. doi:10.2307/20553451. JSTOR 20553451.
- ↑ Crabtree, Susan (June 10, 2020). "Is Unarmed National Guard Emboldening Seattle Mob?". RealClearPolitics.
- ↑ Ruiz, Michael (June 9, 2020). "Seattle protesters declare 'cop free zone' after police leave precinct". Fox News. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ↑ Thalen, Mikael (June 9, 2020). "Seattle protesters set up a barricaded 'cop-free zone'". The Daily Dot. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Britschgi, Christian (June 10, 2020). "Seattle Protesters Establish 'Autonomous Zone' Outside Evacuated Police Precinct — Is the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone a brave experiment in self-government or just flash-in-the-pan activism?". Reason. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Burns, Chase (June 10, 2020). "The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone Renames, Expands, and Adds Film Programming". The Stranger.
- ↑ Rambaran, Vandana (10 June 2020). "Seattle protesters storm City Hall, demand mayor resign after driving police out of area, declaring autonomous zone". Fox News. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- ↑ "Protesters Establish Autonomous Zone Around Seattle PD Building as Police Retreat". Democracy Now!. June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ↑ "Live updates: Protesters establish 'Free Capitol Hill' near East Precinct". MyNorthwest. KIRO-FM. June 9, 2020. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
- ↑ Ted Cruz [@tedcruz] (June 9, 2020). "This is endangering people's lives. #ThisIsNuts" (Tweet). Retrieved June 9, 2020 – via Twitter.
External links[edit]
Media related to Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone at Wikimedia Commons
Template:Anarchies Template:Seattle neighborhoods
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