December 18, 2020 – In Breaking News – KOMO NEWS
Seattle police began clearing a large homeless camp from Cal Anderson Park early Friday morning after a judge declined to block authorities from removing the people and tents.
The homeless campers and protesters have occupied the Capitol Hill neighborhood park for several months, setting up barricades, threatening Seattle park employees, setting fires and creating mounds of trash laced with needles.
“Police have begun providing dispersal orders so that Seattle Parks can clean and conduct maintenance inside Cal Anderson Park,” Seattle Police tweeted. “Please leave the area.”
(Seattle police began clearing a homeless camp in Cal Anderson Park Friday morning. Courtesy of King 5 and YouTube. Posted on Dec. 18, 2020.)
Officials originally intended to clear the park Wednesday morning.
They postponed the sweep after makeshift barriers went up, dozens of black clad protesters arrived and park resident Ada Yeager filed a federal lawsuit.
A federal judge on Thursday ruled against Yeager, who had claimed a sweep would violate her civil rights.
Seattle officials have argued that the encampment, which until recently had about 50 residents, poses a public safety risk.
Police have begun providing dispersal orders so that @SeattleParks can clean and conduct maintenance inside Cal Anderson park. Please leave the area. pic.twitter.com/Pb3jIqq231
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) December 18, 2020
Video from a KOMO News crew showed a heavy police presence swarming the surrounding streets Friday morning and leading some people away in handcuffs.
Police said that 10 people had been arrested for various offenses during the first two hours of the sweep.
Under new guidelines, the Seattle City Council has said they don’t want police involved in sweeps, but Seattle Parks officials said conditions have become too dangerous to be at the park without police.
Police have begun providing dispersal orders so that @SeattleParks can clean and conduct maintenance inside Cal Anderson park. Please leave the area. pic.twitter.com/Pb3jIqq231
— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) December 18, 2020
“Recent regular (Seattle Parks & Recreation) maintenance efforts have been met with threats of physical violence which is why SPR has had to request the assistance of the Seattle Police Department to ensure the safety of park maintenance and other City employees,” a parks spokesperson said Wednesday.
“Individuals have barricaded a portion of the park and intentionally set a fire to a tent.”
“SFD has reported five fires in the last month.”
(Protesters set a fire while resisting the cleanout of a homeless encampment at Cal Anderson Park. Courtesy of King 5 and YouTube. Posted on Dec. 16, 2020.)
Continue reading… Seattle police begin clearing homeless camp from Cal Anderson Park
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