CNN's Dan Simon walks us inside Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, something Trump is trying to turn into a major crisis with Fox News doing their best to make it sound like violent anarchy.
"This is what it looks like when you enter CHAZ. You see some of this street graffiti behind me."
"Then you walk 2 or 300 feet and you're in the heart of the zone. This is the main focal point of the occupation zone, the police precinct behind me. People have put up messages, made signs and a lot of folks are just coming by and taking in the sight. One of the more remarkable things about the occupation is the infrastructure. They are incredibly well stocked for the long haul," Simon said.
"See all those plastic bags with cards in it? Those are individual donor cards. Most of this stuff comes one bag of groceries at a time from folks in the community who want to take care of each other."
He points out the meditation society.
"We've seen a lot of groups hold various events. This is a group of Native Americans behind me doing a drum ceremony. Is everything Pollyanish here? Absolutely not. We have seen tempers flare, and some folks are openly carrying weapons. Remember, Washington is an open carry state," he said.
Here's the kind of thing that actually happens in the CHAZ:
A person dressed as @realDonaldTrump is asking people to beat him up with a pool noodle while “fuck Donald trump” plays. It’s kind of kinky. #CHOP #CHAZ pic.twitter.com/kRftENaGbq
— Chase Burns (@chaseburnsy) June 15, 2020
In total I learned that a two small 2 blocks of a peaceful protest with all the threat of a farmer's market has frightened a nation.
The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone is being propagandized for political purposes by con-men who are afraid of what it represents. pic.twitter.com/MvQiqjvomA— Kevin Konrad Hanna (@frogchildren) June 14, 2020
And here's what right wing media is trying to create:
As part of a package of stories about Seattle's CHAZ, Fox News published digitally altered and misleading photos in what photojournalism experts called a clear violation of ethical standards for news organizations. https://t.co/lsD62I6lRX
— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) June 13, 2020
#BikersforTrump Planning to "Retake" #Seattle #AutonomousZone For America https://t.co/BlOOIhtuEK via @BigLeaguePol
— Robert Smith (@res416) June 13, 2020
‘Let our silence speak volumes’ — An estimated 60,000 took part in this March of Silence in Seattle on Friday (via @joshtrujillo) pic.twitter.com/YjkmIxi9w7
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) June 13, 2020
Like past Occupy encampments, they're attracting some con artists and mentally ill people. But it's not anything we haven't seen before.
