Carmen Best is the Seattle police chief, and she is African-American. She wants to retake CHAZ as soon as possible. Here’s how she should do it. It will take mayoral cooperation.
The idea is to get the high moral ground in the eyes of all right-thinking Americans. If any shooting or injury is to occur, the guilt will be placed on the people in CHAZ, namely, those who initiate bodily violence. This will rally people behind Best.
She should first announce in every way possible, leaflets, voice, media, and computer, that everyone should leave the zone by a deadline, during the daylight hours when she will clear the barriers. After lunch at 1 o’clock is a good time. She should explain that she intends to dismantle the barriers in the presence of national media and that she expects no violence from anyone. She should explain that an unarmed group of people will aid her in doing this. She should explain why this is being done and what laws must be maintained. She can relay the mayor’s word that demands within her scope of office can and will be negotiated after CHAZ is abandoned. Indeed, that the best way to assure this is to clear the area without violence. There will be no negotiations on any of their demands before this barricade clearing is accomplished, and no negotiations on the clearing itself.
When the time comes, Chief Best, completely unarmed and at risk to herself, should approach one of the barriers along with a team of people. The best team might be black people who are police, and especially good may be black women. If they are collected from across the state, that’s okay. If several of the other barriers are approached simultaneously, that will work too. But it all should be announced calmly and in advance so that professional cameras can record the event. We do not want shaky amateur incomplete footage. We want this to be an official recorded act.
Chief Best and her team should proceed to move aside what they can of the barriers. There should be backup equipment (like plows and fork-lifts) at the ready to clear the barriers once the initial moves are made to take it apart.
What can the occupiers do? If they attack Best and her team members in any way, they will lose whatever moral ground they have. Most viewers would see this happen and understand that Best is not dispensing police brutality but maintaining order in Seattle and being able to access the area to respond to crimes that may be committed there or nearby. They will understand that the demands will be heard by the Seattle government, but at the same time they will understand that holding out occupation as a bargaining chip is unacceptable.
Now, suppose that Chazians have not left the area and resist by forming a human wall behind or in front of the barrier. No matter. Warn the people to move back and aside. Use the equipment to clear the barricades. Tactics have to be used to disperse them. There are ways to do this that need not be explained here. In no case will arms be needed unless Chazians initiate their use.
Police and others who are recruited for this have to be willing to risk injury to win this moral battle. The moral win precedes the physical win.
The mayor of Seattle and the state’s governor lose if they negotiate without doing this first.
9:03 pm on June 13, 2020
