Some Seattle police officers are concerned that disbanding the autonomous zone being occupied by protesters could turn violent. Since officers can't use pepper spray or tear gas to force people to disperse, some officers say their only course of action could be batons and firearms.
Two weeks after protesters cordoned off and occupied parts of Capitol Hill, now named the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP), Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced on Monday it would be disbanded. Officials didn't share a specific timeline for clearing the area and Durkan said the goal is to have people leave voluntarily.
But a Seattle police officer who spoke to Newsweek on the condition of anonymity, said protesters don't have to listen to law enforcement. The officer expected protesters won't be keen on vacating the area, potentially leaving officers with one option: to use force.
"We're no longer allowed to use things like tear gas and pepper spray. The only thing that we can use is our sidearms or our batons," the officer said. "...And we lose if we use force, it's gonna look ugly."
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https://www.newsweek.com/seattle-police-protesters-brace-violence-mayor-orders-chop-cleared-1512946
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