That was largely my take on it too. Sort of “let them play for a while and then clean up after them.” I’m not being critical of the protesters and the marches, but in the long run, who is going to pay for the water and electricity?
This started months ago, FYI. Azaria said he would no longer be moving Apu back in January
Thrag
5773
Riot cops deployed to counter protesters armed with bows.
There were reports of violins.
KevinC
5775
What was their stated reason for breaking that up, do you know?
Soon it’ll break out into full scale luteing.
(Can’t take credit for that one, got it from the comments)
There may have been violins, but was there any sax?
Timex
5780
Then what was the problem getting those people out? If the paramedics are willing to deal with it, and you don’t want the cops to carry weapons anyway… Then why would the cops even be involved? What would they be providing?
But that’s not what happened, which suggests that isn’t the case. The paramedics didn’t go into the chop on their own, right?
Because they don’t want to go into a situation like that without an armed escort… And having the cops lay down their guns means that they aren’t serving their purpose anyway.
The chop is essentially lawless. That’s not a place that most people want to be, especially the cops who are specifically the target of the protests. I know folks in Seattle who are like, “yeah, the chop is fucked up.” It’s not an arts festival.
If i was a cop, i sure as hell wouldn’t want to go unarmed into a situation where i know there are a ton of people who hate me, and who i know have guns. That would be insane.
I don’t see anything in there about paramedics being afraid to enter or a problem getting the victims out - protester medics rendered aid and transferred the injured out of the zone - and a lot about cops searching inside the area. Do you have sources for your “that’s not what happened”?
At least during the day, it’s not bad at all. I wandered around there with my camera for maybe eight hours across four days. It was like a relatively somber farmers market, with a lot of graffiti. There were even plenty of parents with strollers.
Didn’t feel any less safe there than wandering around just about any other part of the city. The only time I got a little nervous was when I came across an alt-right militia-type with a rifle/handguns who was getting a bit heated with protesters.
I don’t think I’d be down there during the night, but then again, I don’t like the idea of wandering through a lot of the city alone at night.
At least two different members of this forum have said they have been there and said it wasn’t bad at all (daytime). My son was nearby but not sure if he went into the area or not.
Have your friends actually been in the area?
Really, the only people I’d be afraid of in the CHOP is someone like the militia guy attacking the people gathered. I felt much safer walking around there than I do in some sections downtown–especially 3rd & Pine, or in front of the courthouse.
Timex
5785
I honestly don’t know if they’ve been into the chop itself, but presumably folks in Seattle talk to each other about this kind of stuff. I suspect that they probably haven’t been in it, because it seems like it’d be taking a significant risk for really no purpose.
But at the same time, they used to work homeless outreach and did in fact walk the streets of Seattle in rough parts in the middle of the night, and specifically approached folks sleeping rough, so it’s not like they are folks living in a gated community.
I mean, from the stories here, you’ve got folks talking about fights between rival groups, armed with with firearms. That ain’t something that I’d choose to be around, if i could help it, i don’t think.
See… But this is what makes it lawless.
If it was only BLM folks, it’s probably be better, but at this point you’ve got groups of far right wing whackos going in there with the intent of starting a race war or something.
I mean, look at what got is talking about this.
Some crazies got into an SUV, drove into the CHOP, and started shooting at folks… and then a ton of other people started shooting back at them and killed them.
Are we really going to debate whether that constitutes lawlessness?
I don’t know what it’s been like in the past week, but before that time I have a lot of friends who either live in the neighborhood or have been visiting (daytime). I have neither seen photos nor heard from them anything but that it feels like a street fair with more politics. Maybe it’s changed in the past week, but your narrative doesn’t align with what people have been reporting.
I mean, is it really all that different than just about any public gathering these days…?
So today the four former presidents (and a raft of other celebrities, sports related and otherwise) tipped their cap in homage to players in the old Negro League in baseball.
Remember the days when sitting presidents would engage in genial gestures of goodwill? It seems so long ago …
Yeah? I certainly feel safer there than I would at any sort of political event, or around a group of police officers.
Seriously, it’s not that bad there.
