US President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to “end this Seattle takeover now,” escalating a row with local authorities over a police-free zone controlled by protesters in the city, as some US states move ahead with police reforms.
“The terrorists burn and pillage our cities, and they think it is just wonderful, even the death. Must end this Seattle takeover now!” Trump tweeted.
It came a day after the president threatened federal action if Seattle’s mayor and Washington’s state governor did not “take back your city NOW.”
Governor Jay Inslee hit back that Trump should stay out of the north-western state’s business, and Seattle’s Mayor Jenny Durkan said an invasion of the city would be unconstitutional and illegal.
Seattle, like other US cities, has been gripped by protests against police brutality and racism since the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minnesota two weeks ago.
After days of clashes with authorities, demonstrators set up an “autonomous zone” in the city when police vacated a precinct earlier this week.
The makeshift encampment, sectioned off by barricades and spanning several city blocks, has been dubbed Chaz, an abbreviation of Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, the Seattle Times reported.
Hundreds of people have been gathering to demonstrate and hear speeches in the largely peaceful police-free zone, amid calls around the country to “defund” police departments.
Trump on Thursday dismissed such calls, saying he wanted instead to strengthen police forces. He outlined proposals for police reforms, including improved training and national guidelines on the use of force and de-escalation.
The Republican president could unveil the plans in the coming days, the White House said on Wednesday, while suggesting he would not support wide-ranging federal legislation introduced by Democrats on Monday that seeks to make the police more accountable.
Trump’s plans come as his Republican allies in Congress consider their own more significant measures to overhaul law enforcement, and as lawmakers at the local and state levels mull how to reform their police forces.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday signed into law a sweeping package of bills targeting police misconduct, including a ban on chokeholds and the release of officers’ disciplinary records.
Civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton praised Cuomo for raising “the bar on how we deal with policing.”
“Make no mistake, this is a new level that all other 49 other state governors need to look at,” Sharpton said at the bill signing ceremony.
The state legislature of Minnesota, where Floyd died, was on Friday also set to consider police reform measures, including prohibiting chokeholds.
Trump said the practice of chokeholds should “generally” be ended, but added that some officers may need the hold in a “bad scuffle.”
“We have to be careful. With that being said it would be I think a very good thing that generally speaking it should be ended,” he said.
