What a mess Seattle's elected officials have created for themselves and are creating for everyone. Large and mostly peaceful protests for "Black Lives Matter" were a needed and important response to the killing of George Floyd. I am finally convinced that there is a great deal of systemic racisim in our society that needs to be addressed. However, the creation of the so-called "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" isn't about racisim. It isn't about "Black Lives Matter". It is about the Left Behind Left-Wing Persons (LBLWP) cause of social justice.
The City of Seattle needs to fight systemic racism. It needs to improve its policing practices. It may need to move responsibilities (and money) away from policing agencies for activities that involve social issues and not public safety. Armed, uniformed police officers should not be rousting homeless camps, arresting drug addicts, doing welfare checks, providing escorts and crowd control for politicians and political events, enforcing parking laws, evictions and many other activities that do not involve public safety.
If the East Precinct station is needed by the Seattle Police Department for the public safety protection needs, they should immediately restore it to service. If it isn't needed for public safety protection needs, by all means let it become a community center. If the LBLWP folks want to protest for their social justice issues, let them protest (peacefully) .. that is absolutely within their rights and duties as Americans. However, if they want to have a social justice street festival,,, blocking streets with barricades, putting up tents and canopies, giving-out food, and doing face-painting... they need a permit.
What easier way could there be to help re-relect the president than for the MAGA people to try to tie the issues of defunding the police and other LBLWP issues like social justice to widely supported Democratic Party candidates.