Seattle Mayor Cancels ‘Summer of Love’ After Slew of Violence in Autonomous Zone, Says Police Will ‘Peacefully’ Return

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Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan wrote on Twitter Monday evening that police “will be peacefully returning” to the so-called autonomous zone in the city’s Capitol Hill area, potentially ending what she had said could be a “summer of love” in the area.

Police Chief Carmen Best “has made it clear to me that for the short-term, our Police Department will need East Precinct to ensure public safety and appropriately respond to more than 100,000 9-1-1 calls. In the near future, SPD will be peacefully returning to the East Precinct,” Durkan wrote.

The area in Seattle, referred to as either the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) zone or Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), was established by protesters this month after Seattle police abandoned the Third Precinct in the wake of unrest over the death of George Floyd.

Police have been mostly absent from the area. Best said on Monday that the area, which spans several blocks, had seen “shootings, a rape, assaults, burglary, arson, and property destruction,” including two shootings over the weekend. Durkan has sparred with President Donald Trump over whether she should restore order to the area, telling CNN this month that she hoped the area might experience a “summer of love.”

Writing on Twitter Monday, Durkan highlighted the recent shootings. In the past two nights, three different people have been shot at the CHOP. Two were injured, and one has tragically died. Any incidents of gun violence in our city are deeply concerning to me, Chief Carmen Best, our residents, businesses, and the greater community,” she wrote.

“While we believe community and demonstrators can and should continue gathering peacefully on Capitol Hill, the disorder, violence and impacts on businesses and residents threatens to derail the CHOP’s critical message calling for justice, equality, and systemic reform,” Durkan added.