Seattle police were scheduled to sweep through Cal Anderson Park Wednesday morning. Instead, they city put the sweep on hold because a homeless person who has been living in the park filed a request for a restraining order. The city wanted to wait for the judge to issue his decision before moving forward. Yesterday the judge did issue his decision, refusing to issue a restraining order.

The judge’s order is here. He completely rejected her argument that the tents in the park constituted political speech and were being singled out because the city opposed that speech. The decision states, “…there is no evidence that the intended evictions are based on the content of Ms. Yeager’s supposed expressive speech.” He also dismisses her arguments under the 4th, 8th and 14th Amendments. KOMO News reports Yeager has since moved to a tiny house village elsewhere in the city so the sweep won’t affect her anyway.

With that decision, police showed up at the park this morning and began by issuing a dispersal order:

Police have begun providing dispersal orders so that @SeattleParks can clean and conduct maintenance inside Cal Anderson park. Please leave the area. pic.twitter.com/Pb3jIqq231

— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) December 18, 2020

Police quickly made their way inside the barrier set up by anarchists and started making arrests:

Police have broken through the barrier and are inside the camp. Already a small skirmish and at least 1 arrest. #CalAndersonPark pic.twitter.com/YUjzLOUOWU

— Casey Martin (@caseyworks) December 18, 2020

Having quickly lost the battle the people inside the park resorted to dragging tents out of the park and whining about the police:

"Get out of the park or get arrested," says one @SeattlePD officer. A person in the distance is walking their golden retriever. pic.twitter.com/zFXnBfcRkU

— Casey Martin (@caseyworks) December 18, 2020

People who stayed in the park were arrested and literally dragged out.

Another person is arrested and carried away. Crowd is very tense with police pointing weapons. pic.twitter.com/tPKG8tyizU

— Casey Martin (@caseyworks) December 18, 2020

This reporter for NPR says the police “explode[d] into violence” but of course this video doesn’t show what the anarchists were doing that prompted these arrests. Finally, there’s video of a backhoe cleaning up the garbage left behind.

Crews are demolishing the encampment. The city said they would store leftover belongings for 70 days. pic.twitter.com/FA7I0MlivQ

— Casey Martin (@caseyworks) December 18, 2020

Police reported a total of 10 arrests had been made. Notice the pile of bricks which were probably intended to be used as weapons. But it seems police have a special super power they can use against anarchists: They show up early.

Some more photos of property left behind in the park. 10 arrests have been made for various offenses. pic.twitter.com/dnchr3mtGF

— Seattle Police Dept. (@SeattlePD) December 18, 2020

Police are now stationed around the park and being heckled by stragglers:

SWEEP CONTINUES: All major access points to Cal Anderson Park blocked off but vehicle traffic being allowed through. @komonews#seattle #CalAndersonSweep #seattleprotest #homeless pic.twitter.com/Mo0qHY3aL0

— Jonathan Choe Journalist KOMO News (@choeshow) December 18, 2020

PACKING UP: Nagle Pl is now clear. Gonna be a long day for @SeattleParks and @SeattlePD #seattle #CalAndersonSweep #seattleprotestcomms #seattleprotest #CalAnderson #CalAndersonPark pic.twitter.com/16uR49ogs4

— Jonathan Choe Journalist KOMO News (@choeshow) December 18, 2020

So Cal Anderson Park has now been cleared. Unfortunately, yesterday some of the anarchists from the park took over a nearby unoccupied house that is just down the street.

HERE WE GO: Squatters claiming to be standing in solidarity with the homeless at Cal Anderson Park have just taken over this yellow house at 1106 E. Denny Way in Seattle. They’re laying out demands at 4pm during a press conference. @komonews pic.twitter.com/Ja02WKdJBt

— Jonathan Choe Journalist KOMO News (@choeshow) December 17, 2020

MAKING THEMSELVES RIGHT AT HOME: People dressed in all black are now walking back and forth from Cal Anderson Park into this house on Denny Way. It is turning into another staging area. Neighbors say a developer now owns the house and it’s been sitting empty for months.@komonews pic.twitter.com/wFWZKfS796

— Jonathan Choe Journalist KOMO News (@choeshow) December 17, 2020

PERSONAL MESSAGE: Came back to see how things are going at the “occupied” house on E. Denny Way. This guy left me some nice chalk work. #SEATTLE #CalAndersonSweep #CalAndersonPark #CapitolHill pic.twitter.com/BKtxWcemxY

— Jonathan Choe Journalist KOMO News (@choeshow) December 17, 2020

A neighbor called the police but they can’t act without a request from the owner:

NEIGHBORS SCARED OR FRUSTRATED: One neighbor says he called @SeattlePD but was told officers can’t go in and do anything about it unless the developer asks them to get the squatters out. We are trying to reach developer now. @komonews pic.twitter.com/aWLKn0UnuR

— Jonathan Choe Journalist KOMO News (@choeshow) December 17, 2020

The group quickly issued a list of demands:

Activists occupying of a house at the north end of Cal Anderson Park have put out a list of demands and plan to talk about it publicly at 4p #KOMONews pic.twitter.com/mjfCiwtNMU

— Matt Markovich (@mattmarkovich) December 17, 2020

And then they held a press conference threatening that more occupations like this would continue to happen unless their demands were met.

DENNY WAY PRESSER: Folks occupying this empty house say they aren’t leaving and could target other empty houses in #Seattle unless demands are met. I tried to ask questions on behalf of concerned neighbors and biz owners. Here’s a medley of their responses.#CalAndersonSweep pic.twitter.com/1GbEe8LVXZ

— Jonathan Choe Journalist KOMO News (@choeshow) December 18, 2020

Naturally, the occupiers are stans for socialist city council member Kshama Sawant. It’s probably safe to assume Sawant supports this squatting on private property. Maybe someone will ask her.

WHERE ARE SEATTLE’S ELECTED OFFICIALS? This group taking over the house near Cal Anderson Park is pro @cmkshama who reps Capitol Hill. She did not get back to us when we asked about the impending Cal Anderson sweep. But the group says @MayorJenny has also been MIA. #Seattle pic.twitter.com/XO83EJ0cW2

— Jonathan Choe Journalist KOMO News (@choeshow) December 18, 2020

So the bottom line is that after six months the city has cleared Cal Anderson Park and started a multi-day cleanup effort. Unfortunately, there is now a new anarchist occupation just down the street.