“the capitol hill autonomous zone”

As a wave of civil unrest spread throughout the United States following the killing of George Floyd, Seattle became a focal point of protest. After weeks of contentious standoffs between Seattle Police and protesters, the SPD abruptly announced they would be withdrawing from their eastern precinct, leading to what became known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), a development that drew international attention and threats from President Trump to deploy the National Guard in Seattle and “restore order.”

The following collection documents these events, culminating in the SPD withdrawal and establishment of the CHAZ a few hours later.