page_title: Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: The abandoned Seattle Police East Precinct inside CHAZ / CHOP.
context_page_description: The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, also known as Free Capitol Hill, the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, or the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, was an occupation protest and self-declared autonomous zone in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. The zone, originally covering six city blocks and a park, was established on June 8, 2020 by George Floyd protesters after the Seattle Police Department left its East Precinct building, and was cleared of occupants by police on July 1, 2020.
  The zone's formation in the Capitol Hill neighborhood was preceded by a week of tense interactions between protesters and police in full riot gear that began on June 1 and escalated on June 7, after a man drove his vehicle into the protesters and shot one of them. Tear gas, flash bangs, and pepper spray were repeatedly used by police in the densely populated residential neighborhood. The mayor issued a ban on tear gas on June 5. City, county, and state representatives joined demonstrators on the front lines on June 6, when flash bangs and pepper spray were used on the crowd.
context_section_description: Capitol Hill is a densely populated residential district situated on a steep hill just east of the city's downtown central business district, known for its prominent LGBT and counterculture communities, as well as its colorful vibrant nightlife.  The city of Seattle was previously a center for other mass protests, such as the 1999 Seattle WTO protests and Occupy Seattle. The city is also home to several cultural institutions that were created through occupation protests, including the Northwest African American Museum, the Daybreak Star Cultural Center, and El Centro de la Raza.
  Protests over the killing of George Floyd and police brutality began in Seattle on May 29, 2020. For nine consecutive days there were street clashes in greater Seattle involving protesters, the Seattle Police Department (SPD), Washington State Patrol, and Washington National Guard.
caption: Modified sign for the SPD East Precinct, with "people" spray painted over the word "police" on June 13, 2020
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