24 arrested during sweep at Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park

Police say 24 people in all were arrested during a sweep of Cal Anderson Park in Seattle’s Capitol neighborhood on Friday.

Charges range from “misdemeanor trespass, failure to disperse, resisting arrest, obstructing arrest, and property destruction.

The sweep, originally planned for Wednesday, began Friday morning. Parks Department employees arrived early to find protesters. Seattle police arrived to warn campers to clear out of the park.

By 1 p.m., Seattle police said there had been 21 arrests and parks department employees were continuing to clean out the park. By 5 p.m. there were three additional arrests and police said the park cleanup effort had concluded.

The city parks dept backed up by @SeattlePD giving those here at the park 7 more minutes, so far other side just yelling at cops @KIRORadio pic.twitter.com/j2pAenb61q

— Hanna Scott (@HannaKIROFM) December 18, 2020

There were a few skirmishes with officers, KIRO Radio’s Hanna Scott reported, but the group had at one point been moved back to East Denny Way and 11th Avenue while officials began clearing the park. At that time, it appeared that SWAT was outside an empty house taken over Thursday.

Now smaller groups of @SeattlePD Back up Parks crews as they go in and clean various areas of the park which is trashed. Homeless advocates here yelling at police and parks/utility crews as the crews begin to clean up @KIRONewsdesk @KIRORadio pic.twitter.com/SFeRgArh2v

— Hanna Scott (@HannaKIROFM) December 18, 2020

11 additional arrests have been made over the past few hours, bringing the total to 21 for the crimes of misdemeanor trespass, failure to disperse, resisting arrest, and obstructing arrest. Parks Department employees continue their efforts to clean Cal Anderson Park. pic.twitter.com/dP1vT9oDEN

— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) December 18, 2020

Protesters gathered in Capitol Hill’s Cal Anderson Park early Wednesday, believing that city officials planned to sweep the park then. On that day, police and parks workers did not ultimately attempt to enter the park or move homeless campers out of the area.

A lawsuit filed Wednesday by a homeless individual camped in the park asked a U.S. district judge to issue an injunction, which would put a pause on any efforts to clear Cal Anderson Park. Judge Richard Jones — who heard arguments for an against the lawsuit Wednesday evening — denied the request Thursday.

Federal judge won’t stop sweep of Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park

This sweep marks the third time Seattle has cleared homeless campers out of Cal Anderson Park this year, with a pair of sweeps taking place in late-summer months. At the prior sweeps, police officers that were present to support the city were met by a group of protesters, and campers and aid tables returned to the park soon after police left the area. The park has been closed since June 30.

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