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Seattle’s Black Lives Matter memorial garden, established in Cal Anderson Park in July 2020, has been dismantled by city officials. Initially intended to honor the BLM movement, the site, under Seattle’s progressive administration, became plagued with crime, drug abuse, and homelessness. The area has now been cleared and reseeded by the Parks and Recreation Department.

The Washington Examiner reported that the garden was in a park within the Capitol Hill Organized Protest or Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone. This zone, self-declared as independent of U.S. authority, lasted 24 days in 2020 amidst the George Floyd/BLM protests. It quickly descended into chaos, marked by violence and the absence of law enforcement, leading to criminal activities and makeshift security measures by armed groups.

The nation witnessed appalling violence in the area, including two homicides and several shootings. Despite these tragic outcomes, the city initially chose to commemorate the events with a garden maintained by Black Star Farmers.

However, the park’s conditions deteriorated, leading to issues like vandalism, public drug use, unauthorized camping, and a significant rodent infestation. The Parks and Recreation Department, in collaboration with Black community leaders and the Black Farmers Collective, plans to create a new commemorative garden.

Journalist Jonathan Choe commented on the situation, noting attempts to revive the CHAZ/CHOP atmosphere with tents and protest signs, but ultimately, even the homeless recognized the exploitation in the agenda.

The choice of a garden as a memorial seems ironic, given the failed attempts to grow food in the Zone during its brief, tumultuous existence, which drew criticism from various quarters, including conservatives and farmers.