Washington Democrat Governor Jay Inslee claimed on Wednesday that he has “not heard anything about” extremists declaring an autonomous zone in his state’s largest city, despite widely shared images and photos that circulated on social media and a decent amount of media coverage.
Inslee was asked during a press conference, “Governor, I’d like to ask you about what’s going on Seattle, there’s this thing called the capital autonomous zone, what’s your thought about the fact that the protesters have taken that over and are not allowing people to come and go freely?
“Well that’s news to me,” Inslee claimed. “So, I’ll have to reserve any comment about it. I have not, I have not heard anything about that from any credible source, not that you’re not credible, it’s just like before I espouse an opinion, I should know of which I speak.”
WATCH:
Gov. Inslee on so-called "autonomous zone" on Capitol Hill:
"That's news to me". pic.twitter.com/L3LT86Zxgq
— Rebecca Perry ☀️🕶️🌊 (@Rebecca_Perry) June 10, 2020
What is going on in Seattle is real, despite Inslee’s claim that he has not heard anything about it.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the matter late on Wednesday evening, writing on Twitter: “Domestic Terrorists have taken over Seattle, run by Radical Left Democrats, of course. LAW & ORDER!”
Domestic Terrorists have taken over Seattle, run by Radical Left Democrats, of course. LAW & ORDER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2020
The state’s top newspaper, The Seattle Times, reported earlier in the day:
Welcome to the CHAZ, the newly named Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, where most everything was free Tuesday.
…
A new protest society — centered on a handful of blocks in Seattle’s quirky, lefty Capitol Hill — has been born from the movement to push the Seattle Police Department out of its East Precinct building.
On Tuesday, demonstrators hung a banner on the police station: “THIS SPACE IS NOW PROPERTY OF THE SEATTLE PEOPLE.” Teenagers passed a bottle on the exit ramp for police vehicles. A young man carried a long rifle down the sidewalk, despite the mayor’s ban on weapons in Capitol Hill, which has not been clearly enforced.
Christopher F. Rufo, Filmmaker and Director of Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth & Poverty, wrote in the City Journal that the “hard-Left” was behind the latest events in Seattle:
For the past week, Black Lives Matter and Antifa-affiliated activists have engaged in a pitched battle with Seattle police officers and National Guard soldiers in the neighborhood, with the heaviest conflict occurring at the intersection of 11th and Pike, where law enforcement had constructed a barricade to defend the Seattle Police East Precinct building. Hoping to break through the barricade, protesters attacked officers with bricks, bottles, rocks, and improvised explosive devices, sending some officers to the hospital. At the same time, activists circulated videos of the conflict and accused the police of brutality, demanding that the city cease using teargas and other anti-riot techniques.
The rioters later declared a “cop free zone” in the area after “police boarded up and seemingly abandoned their East Precinct building Monday night,” Fox News reported.
Seattle-based conservative radio host Jason Rantz responded to Inslee’s remarks on Wednesday by writing on Twitter: “Wow. @GovInslee said he had no clue about the #SeattleAutonomousZone. Antifa, anarchists and community activist took an entire 6-block radius of his biggest city, have roaming armed guards doing ID checks, and Inslee has no clue. WHAT ARE YOU DOING, INSLEE?!”
Wow. @GovInslee said he had no clue about the #SeattleAutonomousZone.
Antifa, anarchists and community activist took an entire 6-block radius of his biggest city, have roaming armed guards doing ID checks, and Inslee has no clue.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING, INSLEE?!
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) June 10, 2020
Correction: An earlier version of this report incorrectly identified Seattle as Washington State’s capital city. Seattle is Washington State’s largest city. Olympia is Washington State’s capital.
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