Late Tuesday, an announcement came from Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan (D) saying that the federal agents deployed to Seattle last week have been demobilized.
The troops were deployed in the city to protect federal buildings from anticipated protests which were erupting all across the nation.
In her recent tweet, Durkan writes, “[The Department of Homeland Security] notified me that federal forces deployed to Seattle have demobilized & left. The President’s actions to target Democratic cities with federal forces is chilling and increased violence in Portland, Seattle & other cities – exactly what the President intended.”
She further goes on to add that “policing decisions in Seattle should be made by [Chief Carmen Best] – not [President Donald Trump]”.
There has been a clear divide in the rhetoric surrounding the BLM protests which started after the tragic killing of George Floyd. Democratic lawmakers recognize the legitimacy of the protests yet denounce the violence resorted to at the protest sites. The Trump administration, on the other hand, has aggressively labeled the protestors as rioters and anarchists.