Seattle Police Arrest 2 Dozen More Protesters As Standoffs Return

SEATTLE, WA — The scene on Capitol Hill streets early Thursday morning was reminiscent of the nightly clashes in early June, as police officers wearing body armor and holding batons again faced off with protesters throughout the night.

Police cleared the Capitol Hill Organized Protest area early Wednesday morning and established "exclusion zone" perimeters lined by rows of officers.

The Seattle Police Department reported 25 additional arrests from just before midnight until 5:30 a.m. Thursday, adding to at least 44 arrests since officers swept the CHOP. Most were booked for misdemeanors, including failure to disperse, which the city has indicated are unlikely to be charged.

According to jail records, one of the people arrested Wednesday was Aubrey Inda, a woman seriously injured by a police projectile during a protest on June 7.

An overnight live stream from Converge Media showed a group of protesters facing off with a line of police at Broadway and East Pike Street, just blocks from the former barricade where officers regularly used tear gas and flash bangs on demonstrators before the East Precinct was abandoned.

While Wednesday's actions did not involve tear gas, the police department confirmed officers used pepper spray and blast balls overnight, and fired at least one "sponge round" earlier in the day.

During a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said the mayor's emergency order could remain in effect for up to 10 days, limiting access to Cal Anderson Park and the blocks surrounding the East Precinct to residents, business owners and city employees.

On Thursday morning, local reporters tweeted images and videos of city crews continuing work inside the former protest area, scrubbing streets and removing items and artwork, including the 30-foot tall Black Power fist that was erected in Cal Anderson Park last month.