Seattle (June 18, 2020) – On Saturday, May 30th, after hours of peaceful demonstrations in response to the murder of George Floyd, some of the activity in the downtown corridor quickly devolved into violence that resulted in violence, intentional fires, and the destruction of property, including damage to hundreds of businesses. In an effort to mitigate against the violent activity in future demonstrations, the Mayor signed a Proclamation of Civil Emergency. Recognizing that demonstrations since that day have been and continue be largely peaceful, the Mayor has terminated the Civil Emergency.
The Proclamation of Civil Emergency granted the Mayor emergency authority to take measures to address imminent threats to public health and safety caused by demonstrations citywide.
Since May 30, thousands of demonstrators have come together, including 85,000 at the Black Lives Matter March and Strike, to demand an end to the status quo on policing and for a concerted effort to undo centuries of racism. Over the course of the last week, SPD and other City Departments have deployed strategies, including in Capitol Hill, to ensure demonstrators can peacefully protest while also preserving the public safety. Recognizing that these strategies have been effective and that use of the Emergency Order has been unnecessary, the Mayor terminated this Civil Emergency.
The Civil Emergency as it relates to COVID-19 is still in effect.