Capitol Hill Occupied Protest

The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ) or Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP), originally Free Capitol Hill and occasionally the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP), was an unlawful occupation protest and self-declared autonomous zone in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The zone, originally covering two intersections at the corners of Cal Anderson Park and the roads leading up to them, was established on June 8, 2020 by George Floyd protesters after the Seattle Police Department (SPD) left its East Precinct building. 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 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, flashbangs 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 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 the CHOP. Protesters asserted three main demands:

1. Cut Seattle's $409-million police budget by 50%.
2. Shift funding to community programs and services in historically black communities.
3. Ensure that protesters would 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 a community vegetable garden was constructed.

The CHOP was a focus of national attention during its existence. President Donald Trump tweeted his disapproval on June 10 and 11, calling the occupants "ugly Anarchists" and demanding that Governor Jay Inslee and Mayor Jenny Durkan "take back" the zone. Durkan described the area on June 11 as four blocks with a "block party" atmosphere; on June 14, USA Today reported a festive environment and compared the protest to a miniature version of Burning Man. The New York Times later contrasted Durkan's words with descriptions provided by local businesspeople, reporting "encampments overtaking the sidewalks ... roving bands of masked protesters smashing windows and looting [and] [y]oung white men wielding guns ... harangu[ing] customers." The Star Tribune reported on June 22 that at night, the atmosphere became charged as demonstrators marched and armed volunteer guards kept watch.

The CHOP's size decreased following shootings in or near the zone on June 20, 21, and 23. On June 28, Mayor Durkan 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. In 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", police chief Carmen Best told reporters: "Enough 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 its East Precinct station. Protests continued in Seattle and at the CHOP site over the following days and months.