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In the early hours of Dec. 18, heavily armed officers of the Seattle Police Department carried out a “sweep” of a homeless camp in Cal Anderson Park in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
Liberation News witnessed several brutal arrests of people on 11th Ave. just outside the park, in which numerous cops dogpiled onto arrestees, placing their knees on peoples’ backs.
This sweep took place within the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic and in contradiction of public health guidelines against sweeping encampments. Heavily mllitarized vehicles paraded through the neighborhood followed by bike cops riding in formation. At least 21 people were arrested. Over several days, resistance on several fronts by houseless campers and community members delayed, but could not stop this sweep, which activists charge was highly political in nature.