Mayor Jenny Durkan called the creation of the zone an attempt to "de-escalate interactions between protesters and law enforcement", while Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said that her officers would look at different approaches to "reduce [their] footprint" in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
City Council member Kshama Sawant, who belongs to the Trotskyist Socialist Alternative party, spoke to the occupants of Cal Anderson Park on June 8, 2020.
She called for the protesters to turn the precinct into a community center for restorative justice.

On June 10, Assistant Police Chief Deanna Nollette said in a news conference, "We're trying to get a dialogue going so we can figure out a way to resolve this without unduly impacting the citizens and the businesses that are operating in that area."
She said police had received reports that "armed individuals" were running barricades set up by protesters as checkpoints, "intimidat[ing] community members", and that police had "heard anecdotally" of residents and businesses being asked to pay a fee to operate in the area, adding, "This is the crime of extortion."
The following day, Best said the police had not received "any formal reports" of extortion, and the Greater Seattle Business Association said they "found no evidence of this occurring".
The New York Times reported in August that during the zone's existence, some small business owners were intimidated by demonstrators with baseball bats, asked to pledge loyalty to the movement and choose between CHOP and the police, put on a list of "cop callers", harassed, or threatened with death by a mob.

On June 11, the SPD announced their desire to re-enter the abandoned East Precinct building, and said they still operated within the zone's territory.
Governor Jay Inslee, on the same day, said the zone was "unpermitted" but "largely peaceful".
On June 12, Police Chief Best said, "Rapes, robberies and all sorts of violent acts have been occurring in the area and we have not been able to get to it."
In the early morning hours of June 12, an unknown man set a fire at the East Precinct building and walked away; community residents extinguished the flames before they could spread beyond the building's external wall or to the nearby tents.
Later that day, Mayor Durkan visited the zone and told a New York Times reporter that she did not know of any serious crime that was reported in the area.

On June 16, a deal was struck between CHOP representatives and the city to "rezone" the occupied area to allow better street access for businesses and local services.
On June 17, KING-TV reported that some are frustrated with the occupation of the area near their homes.
One couple commented: "What you want from a home is a stress-free environment.
You want to be able to sleep well, you want to feel comfortable and we just don't feel comfortable right now."
 KING-TV reported also receiving anonymous emails from other local residents expressing "real concerns".
On June 18, unease was reportedly being expressed by many black protesters about the zone and its use of Black Lives Matter slogans.
According to NPR, "Black activists say there must be follow-through to make sure their communities remain the priority in a majority-white protest movement whose camp has taken on the feel of a neighborhood block party that's periodically interrupted by chants of 'Black Lives Matter!'"

On June 22, the Mayor of Seattle and the Chief of Police stated in a press conference that the police would reoccupy the East Precinct "peacefully and in the near future".
No specific timeline was provided.
On June 24, CNN quoted the "de facto CHOP leader," hip-hop artist Raz Simone, as saying "a lot of people are going to leave—a lot of people already left" the zone.

Also on June 24, Mayor Durkan proposed a hiring freeze on the police force and a $20 million cut to the SPD budget, a reduction of roughly 5% for the remainder of 2020 as part of an effort to compensate for a revenue shortfall and unforeseen expenses due to the coronavirus epidemic.
During a public-comment period, some communit
Mayor Jenny Durkan called the creation of the zone an attempt to "de-escalate interactions between protesters and law enforcement", while Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said that her officers would look at different approaches to "reduce [their] footprint" in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. City Council member Kshama Sawant, who belongs to the Trotskyist Socialist Alternative party, spoke to the occupants of Cal Anderson Park on June 8, 2020. She called for the protesters to turn the precinct into a community center for restorative justice.
On June 10, Assistant Police Chief Deanna Nollette said in a news conference, "We're trying to get a dialogue going so we can figure out a way to resolve this without unduly impacting the citizens and the businesses that are operating in that area." She said police had received reports that "armed individuals" were running barricades set up by protesters as checkpoints, "intimidat[ing] community members", and that police had "heard anecdotally" of residents and businesses being asked to pay a fee to operate in the area, adding, "This is the crime of extortion." The following day, Best said the police had not received "any formal reports" of extortion, and the Greater Seattle Business Association said they "found no evidence of this occurring". The New York Times reported in August that during the zone's existence, some small business owners were intimidated by demonstrators with baseball bats, asked to pledge loyalty to the movement and choose between CHOP and the police, put on a list of "cop callers", harassed, or threatened with death by a mob.
On June 11, the SPD announced their desire to re-enter the abandoned East Precinct building, and said they still operated within the zone's territory. Governor Jay Inslee, on the same day, said the zone was "unpermitted" but "largely peaceful". On June 12, Police Chief Best said, "Rapes, robberies and all sorts of violent acts have been occurring in the area and we have not been able to get to it." In the early morning hours of June 12, an unknown man set a fire at the East Precinct building and walked away; community residents extinguished the flames before they could spread beyond the building's external wall or to the nearby tents. Later that day, Mayor Durkan visited the zone and told a New York Times reporter that she did not know of any serious crime that was reported in the area.
On June 16, a deal was struck between CHOP representatives and the city to "rezone" the occupied area to allow better street access for businesses and local services. On June 17, KING-TV reported that some are frustrated with the occupation of the area near their homes. One couple commented: "What you want from a home is a stress-free environment. You want to be able to sleep well, you want to feel comfortable and we just don't feel comfortable right now."  KING-TV reported also receiving anonymous emails from other local residents expressing "real concerns". On June 18, unease was reportedly being expressed by many black protesters about the zone and its use of Black Lives Matter slogans. According to NPR, "Black activists say there must be follow-through to make sure their communities remain the priority in a majority-white protest movement whose camp has taken on the feel of a neighborhood block party that's periodically interrupted by chants of 'Black Lives Matter!'"
On June 22, the Mayor of Seattle and the Chief of Police stated in a press conference that the police would reoccupy the East Precinct "peacefully and in the near future". No specific timeline was provided. On June 24, CNN quoted the "de facto CHOP leader," hip-hop artist Raz Simone, as saying "a lot of people are going to leave—a lot of people already left" the zone.
Also on June 24, Mayor Durkan proposed a hiring freeze on the police force and a $20 million cut to the SPD budget, a reduction of roughly 5% for the remainder of 2020 as part of an effort to compensate for a revenue shortfall and unforeseen expenses due to the coronavirus epidemic. During a public-comment period, some communit
Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone