The Seattle Democratic mayor is asking the City Council to investigate a member of the socialist council about his “derogatory behavior” during protests against the police and other alleged abuses of his office.
Mayor Jenny Durkan is accusing Council member Kshama Sawant of allowing hundreds of protesters to enter the City Hall after hours and without following the coronavirus health guidelines, bringing protesters to the mayor’s house, and encouraging protesters to occupy the Venue. East of the city, in addition to raising a handful of ethical concerns. .
In an email to City Council President Lorena González, the mayor argued that Sawant, a self-described socialist, is using her position as a city official “in violation of the law” and for “recklessly” undermine the safety of other people “for the political theater.”
SEATTLE CHOP’S LAST SHOT KILLS 16-YEAR-OLD CHILD, CRITICALLY INJURED 14-YEAR-OLD
Durkan cited city law that allows the council to “punish or expel” a member for “disorderly or derogatory behavior,” in this case leading a protest at Durkan’s home, which is supposed to be in a secret location because of state confidentiality. program and safety concerns. The Mayor has received threats in relation to her previous role as United States Attorney.
Sawant reportedly led a crowd of protesters to Durkan’s home and delivered a speech outside over the weekend.
“We have all joined hundreds of demonstrations across the city, but Councilwoman Sawant and her supporters decided to do so with reckless disregard for the safety of my family and children,” Durkan wrote.
The council member’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
He has recently called for Durkan’s resignation in response to protests in the city over the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25. He has also criticized the Seattle Police Department for its handling of the riots.
The city withdrew police from the East Precinct building earlier this month after violent protests in the immediate area, and since then the space has become the so-called Capitol Hill organized protest, or CHOP.
The protesters moved and established what they called a “police free zone”.
Police say emergency response times in the area have tripled and that officials are only responding to life-threatening incidents within CHOP. Since its inception, there have been at least four shootings, two of which left a 19-year-old and the other killed in separate incidents.
In response to the death of the 16-year-old on Monday morning, Sawant tweeted that the murder “highlights the brutality and violence endemic to capitalism.”
“Our movement rejects insinuations and falsehoods perpetuated by the corporate and conservative media that this violence is the result of CHOP or our movement,” he wrote.
On Monday, Fox News correspondent Dan Springer and his team escaped a heated confrontation with agitators at CHOP after a mob forced them to skip a live report and abandon their vehicle.
Separately, the city announced that it would temporarily close Cal Anderson Park, in the heart of CHOP, at midnight Tuesday to assess damage and remove trash after three weeks of busy protests.
SEATTLE’S CHOP HAS SEEN SHOTS, VANDALISM, OTHER CRIMES AS OFFICERS VOTING TO DISASSEMBLE IT
Durkan reportedly changed his position on CHOP protesters, referring to the occupation from the start as a “block party” before announcing last week that the city would dismantle the camp following an outbreak of violence and crime.
Protesters derailed efforts to dismantle the CHOP last week when they lay down on the street to prevent transport crews and heavy machinery from removing the barricades around the occupied area. Workers returned Tuesday and removed some of the concrete obstacles.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
