Kshama Sawant calls out Seattle Mayor Durkan after riot

Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant called out Mayor Jenny Durkan Saturday night after riots left downtown looking like war zone.

Sawant, and the entire city council, have invited Durkan, Police Chief Carmen Best, and Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins to brief the council on a detailed incident report and policing procedures during the demonstrations.

Durkan imposed a curfew from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, asking residents to shelter in place except to go to work.

Shame on Mayor Durkan for using the cover of the COVID crisis to crack down on protesters. Durkan & other local establishment politicians, who claim to be saddened by the murder of George Floyd, have enabled the systematic racism and violence from the Seattle Police Department.

Durkan and the political establishment are also preparing to carry out brutal austerity and cuts to social programs, which will disproportionately affect communities of color, unless our movements fight back.

We reject the crocodile tears of Mayor Durkan & the local Democratic establishment!

In 2018, every Democrat in City Hall voted for the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild contract, which rolled back the limited police accountability.

I was the only No vote on the City Council.

Councilmember Sawant also called out Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best for part of her statement about George Floyd:

In her message about George Floyd, Seattle Police Chief Best said:

Because of Seattle Police's high level of training, commitment to de-escalation & track record of limiting use of force, I have confidence something like this would not occur in our city.

Is she being serious?!

— Kshama Sawant (@cmkshama) May 31, 2020

Read Best’s full statement here.

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