Inside the CHOP: A resident of Seattle's protest zone says she feels like a hostage in her neighborhood

SEATTLE -- While the movement in Seattle's Capitol Hill Occupied Protest zone continues to take shape, some people whose homes and apartments are located inside the CHOP say they feel like hostages in their own neighborhood.

Capitol Hill has become the epicenter of ongoing Seattle protests in response to the death of George Floyd in Minnesota.

Repeated clashes between Seattle Police and protesters prompted SPD to abandon its East Precinct, leaving demonstrators to set up a six-to-nine block occupied protest zone around the abandoned building.

The city has since made concessions and taken actions to accommodate the protesters, including setting up concrete barriers to stop traffic from entering the zone and agreeing to keep it free of police unless there's a life-threatening emergency.
 



The protesters say they're trying to show how society can manage without police intervention. It's a movement that's made headlines nationwide and has also drawn scorn from President Trump, who has threatened to take action if the governor and city leaders don't take back the occupied zone.

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and other city leaders have called the occupied protest a largely peaceful one and said Capitol Hill has long been a hub for First Amendment activity.
 



But not all business owners and residents of the area are on board, and police concede that response times have tripled in the area.

Russell Kimble, owner of Car Tender at 12th Avenue and East Olive Street on the edge of the CHOP, said his auto shop was burglarized and set on fire Saturday night. He said when he called police, they were a no-show.

Kimble's son and his business partner responded to the burglary. Video shows them eventually getting into a scuffle with protesters.

Police Chief Carmen Best said officers observed the incident from afar and did not find any reason to intervene, but she has also said abandoning the precinct was not her decision and "if you're asking about the current situation, it's not one that l like."



One Capitol Hill resident named Hope told Q13 News that while residents were initially "shell-shocked" by police and their response to the days and days of protests, now they're stuck in a zone where police and firefighters won't respond at all.

"These people moved in, and they act like they're really nice during the day," Hope said. "They have rave parties at night with DJs and light shows. These people are evil at night. They're horrible."

Hope says she has tried to call police for assistance, but to no avail.

"I'd go almost to a homeless shelter right now, just to be away from the violence," she said.