Armed Homeless Activists Storm Washington State Hotel, Say Police
1 Feb 2021
Police in Olympia, Washington, repelled an armed takeover of a Red Lion Hotel by homeless activists Sunday night. Witnesses report they were armed with hatchets, batons, and knives.
At about 11 a.m. Sunday, a group of approximately 45 armed homeless activists forcibly took over the Red Lion Hotel in Olympia, according to a statement from the Olympia Police Department. The violent takeover appears to have been organized by a newly formed group officially identified as Oly Housing Now.
Employees of the Red Lion took shelter in the basement after activists allegedly assaulted one of the staff, police said. Employees called the police and reported being under threat.
Police in Olympia, Washington, said they removed dozens of homeless activists after they forcibly occupied a downtown hotel to secure housing for some of the city s homeless population.
At 11 a.m. Sunday guests inside the Red Lion Hotel began calling 911 to report a group was attempting to take over the hotel and an employee was allegedly assaulted, according to the Olympia Police Department.
Police estimated about 45 members of the activist group Oly Housing Now were inside and outside the hotel, some of whom were allegedly armed with hatchets, batons and knives.
Seven people were arrested on charges, including burglary and trespassing, according to KIRO-TV, and more arrests were expected.
At Least 7 Arrested After Activists Occupy Washington State Hotel
At least seven people were taken into custody on Sunday in Olympia, Washington, as law enforcement disrupted an attempt to take over a hotel.
Law enforcement officers, including SWAT officers, closed off the road on which sits the Red Lion Hotel and began clearing the hotel floor by floor after employees fled to the basement in fear after activists entered the building, a police spokesperson told The Olympian. Seven people were arrested and officials expected more arrests before the operation was over.
The Olympia Police Department didn’t respond to a request for comment. Arrest records from Sunday showed one arrest at or near the hotel.
SWAT Team Forcibly Removes Homeless Activists Who Tried to Take over Hotel
On 2/1/21 at 5:06 AM EST
A SWAT team and police officers have been forcibly removing homeless activists who tried to take over a hotel in the city of Olympia in Washington.
Campaigners from Oly Housing Now (OHN), a coalition of Olympia residents working to end homelessness, entered the Red Lion Inn & Suites at 621 Capitol Way South, on Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, SWAT teams were seen moving through the lobby with at least 30 police vehicles surrounding the hotel as officers worked to clear the building, according to freelance reporter Shauna Sowersby.
Share
Source: AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus
Antifa members armed with knives and hatchets took over a hotel in Olympia, Washington, over the weekend. The Olympia Police Department (OPD) is in the process of clearing the Downtown Olympia Red Lion Hotel after it was forcibly occupied by a group identified as Oly Housing Now, a homeless activist group. Employees of the hotel have been safely escorted out of the occupied hotel after sheltering in the basement through the afternoon and part of the evening, the City of Olympia released in a statement. At about 11 a.m. today, people inside the Red Lion began calling 911 to report a group was attempting to forcibly take over the hotel. OPD received reports that the employees felt under threat from the group, and that an employee was allegedly assaulted.