This morning, I grabbed a coffee and went for a quiet walk through #CHOP to take some more pictures of the beautifully emotive street art. There's something really interesting in the repetitive complaints about this topic: #CHOPSeattle #SeattleProtests (1/11)

Theres plenty of complaints about violence/safety, and I mean, I get it. But there's something about the isolated, petty complaints about street art and the overnight transformation of Cal Anderson Park (Or, in their words, “vandalism” and “eyesores”) that really gets me. (2/11)

Isn't it interesting when wealthy, white, and/or otherwise privileged people who have happily moved into a highly gentrified area now feel that 'their' neighborhood is being “taken over,” without their interests or feelings considered, and feel unfairly “pushed out”? (3/11)

Isn't it interesting when wealthy, white, and/or otherwise privileged people who are quick to call the cops on “suspicious” individuals now express worry over feeling unwelcome, distrusted, or even profiled (!!) in Cal Anderson Park? (4/11)

Isn't it interesting when wealthy, white, and/or otherwise privileged people who live in massive apartment buildings where little, low-income, single-family homes and small businesses once stood now feel that *their* memories and comforts of this area are being erased? (5/11)

Nobody denies that CHOP has its issues. It can be unpredictable, it can be unsafe depending on who’s rolling through, and sometimes it can feel like a distraction from other important efforts. (6/11)

But my favorite unexpected secret power of CHOP is how it serves as a unique exposé of systemic social issues by flipping the script in tiny ways — like the effects of gentrification, in this example. And not even the WORST effects, like poverty or inequities in education. (7/11)

We're literally JUST talking about privileged folx getting a teeny tiny taste of the solely emotional effects of gentrification/class alienation. And I know there are people who will read this and think “well two wrongs don’t make a right! How is this actually helpful?” (8/11)

The difference is: Gentrification is a viral tool of systemic racism and perpetual colonization that exists everywhere. CHOP is a temporary sit-in and bargaining chip to ensure that demands are fully met. Again, you're not being oppressed, you're being inconvenienced. (9/11)

And I mean, if you want to speed up this process so that you can feel "more comfortable" in Cal Anderson Park again, the offer still stands. Consider getting involved and helping address the issues we're protesting so that BIPOC folx can feel comfortable, too. (10/11)

Visit this link from @DecrimSeattle's website to learn more about the movement to #DefundSPD and specific action items and scripts for contacting elected officials. https://decriminalizeseattle.com/takeactionnow/  (11/11)