What Is Chaz?

CHAZ has appeared recently in the news, and there is still confusion as to what and where it is. It’s the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” and it’s about six blocks away in Seattle. The area was handed over to protesters after a night of instability in the city.

After George Floyd ‘s death, rebellion broke out across America, with cities experiencing the worst demonstrations. Seattle has developed severe resistance between the activists and the police. Donald Trump faulted the “radical left” for the demonstrations and took over the area as he continued to divide America. The President also vowed to take action against those associated in CHAZ.

“On an and almost nightly basis, the SPD has indiscriminately used excessive force against protesters, legal observers, journalists and medical personnel,” says the Black Lives Matter movement ‘s lawsuit against the city.

CHAZ Charter demands
1. Abolition of the Seattle Police Force and the adjacent justice structure. We are not asking for reform, we are calling for abolition. That ensures 100% of insurance, including current benefits for the Seattle Officers. At the same point of urgency, we even ask on the City to disallow ICE [Immigration Enforcement] operations in Seattle.

2. In the transitional period between now and the dismantling of the Seattle Police Department, we are calling for a complete ban on the use of armed forces.

The words “Black Lives Matter” are painted in the middle of East Pine Street in an area called the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ). REDMOND JASON (AFP)

3. We are calling on the people of Seattle to seek out and proudly support Black-owned enterprises. Your money is our power and our sustainability.

4. We call not on the city government or the state government, but on the federal government to launch a full-scale investigation into past and current cases of police brutality in Seattle and Washington.

5. Repairs for perpetrators of police violence, in a manner to be decided.

6. Retrial of all people in Color currently serving a prison sentence for violent crime by a jury of their peers in their communities.

7. Replacing the current criminal justice system with the creation of restorative / transformative accountability programs as a substitute for imprisonment.