Dispatch from 'CHAZ': Tweets call for Guns, Gatorade and Cigarettes as Cops Struggle to figure out who's in charge
Activists and police have clashing views regarding the activities going on inside the so-called "CHAZ," a six-block area of
Seattle that has been taken over by protesters — and authorities are still scratching their heads as to who is actually running the rabble.
One CHAZ supporter, identified as Armani on Twitter, encouraged protesters to "buy guns."
Police have repeatedly said they have "heard, anecdotally, reports of citizens and businesses being asked to pay a fee to operate within this area" while others have complained about armed guards asking to see identification for people to enter their homes, according to Assistant Chief of Police Deanna Nollette.
Police have also said their response time to 911 calls has tripled over the last few days because they are unable to access the downtown region and are being blocked out by protesters.
A possible leader behind the movement is Kshama Sawant, a Seattle City Council member who helped let hundreds of demonstrators into City Hall earlier this week in a late-night protest calling for Mayor Jenny Durkan to resign.
Sawant has encouraged protesters to hold out on giving back the precinct to police or allowing officers inside the barricaded region.
"The process for deciding East Precinct conversion must include those involved in CHAZ, black community organizations, restorative justice, faith, anti-racist, renter orgns, land trusts, groups, labor unions that have a proven record of fighting racism," Sawant wrote in a post on Twitter.
Meanwhile, posts circulating on Twitter encourage those inside CHAZ to contact their friends and encourage them to fight back against police reclaiming their precinct.
"Yall better be hitting up every single one of your "f-----g" friends right now so they can witness this," one demonstrator said. "This is not what we fought for. They need to get out."
Businesses situated inside CHAZ, including dozens of restaurants and bars, have put out free food, medical supplies, masks and other necessities to help sustain protesters, according to reports by King 5.
One agitator group on Twitter posting photos inside CHAZ showed a list of items needed by demonstrators including cigarettes, tents and bedding.