Angry progressive activists screeched and wailed at lawmakers during a Seattle City Council meeting in protest at a vote to recriminalize drug abuse in the crime-ridden city.
In video taken at the meeting, proponents of the city’s laissez-faire laws shared their anger over the 6-3 vote which they call the ‘War on Drugs 2.0.’
‘You have blood on your hands,’ crowd members can be heard shouting at the council members following the vote in a video posted by journalist Jon Choe.
While the ordinance encourages police to prioritize diversion rather than charges, those in violation could face up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
The Emerald City has become one of the cities with the largest homelessness and drug problems in the United States, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A recent survey found that some 50,000 residents left Seattle over the last six months due to safety concerns. Seven percent of adults in the area also said they felt pressured to move due to their worries.
Activists loudly objected to the Seattle City Council passing an ordinance that makes drug possession and use a gross misdemeanor
One man can be seen here openly using a hypodermic needle as he lays on the sidewalk
According to the Seattle Times, the bill only recommends an arrest for a person found using or in possession when the person ‘presents a threat of harm to others.’
Despite many online calling the ordinance common sense, activists in attendance at the city council meeting were furious over the passing of the bill.
The attendees spent several minutes shouting at the city council members for their decision to pass the bill, even saying they were ‘on the side of the alt-right.’
At one point, one of the men in the audience calls out Councilmember Lis Herbold, a Democrat, who voted to pass the ordinance.
‘Lisa, you did so much good in eight years and you’re going to end it like this,’ a man can be heard saying in the video.
Others shout out ‘blood on your hands’ at the top of their lungs repeatedly as they exit the venue, carrying signs and protesting.
The council members who voted to pass the ordinance stood firm in their votes.
‘I hope that we see a measurable increase in the number of people who are getting well, who are taking advantage of services and who are getting off the street,’ Councilmember Andrew Lewis said, according to KING 5.
‘I hope that we see accountability for people who are declining those services, who continue to disrupt public services on our streets by not taking advantage of them,’ Lewis, who voted no to a previous version of the ordinance, said.
Herbold had also previously voted no in June.
The local ordinance now matches the statewide legislation that went into effect earlier this year, allowing prosecutors to go after offenders.
Seattle, unlike other Washington cities, did not immediately adopt the ordinance, making their local drug code less stringent than the rest of the state.
The ordinance, which makes drug possession and use punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, passed by the council in a 6-3 vote
Crime, homelessness and the public consumption of drugs are all issues that have surged in Seattle since the pandemic and are each adversely impacting the crime rate
In July, the Seattle City Council voted against passing legislation that would have allowed the City Attorney’s Office to prosecute public drug use cases
Three of the Seattle City Council Members said they believed the ordinance would do more harm than good.
Councilmember Tammy Morales called the bill ‘ineffective.’
‘It adds potential racial harm and makes false promises at a time when folks are desperate for solutions,’ she said. ‘This bill is unnecessary, dare I say performative.’
The bill will go into effect 30 days after Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell signs it.
In a statement after the vote, he confirmed he would put his stamp of approval on it immediately, calling it a ‘needed step forward.’
‘As soon as this bill reaches my desk, I will sign it,’ Harrell wrote.
Another homeless man is seen here in the Ballard neighborhood of the city which is dealing with high crime rates
As of September 20, there have been 800 opioid overdose deaths, 767 related to fentanyl, and 507 connected to methamphetamine in King County.
By comparison, in 2022 there were 804 opioid overdose deaths, 714 fentanyl deaths, and 533 from methamphetamine, according to public health data.
‘Fentanyl is tragically killing thousands in our city and around the country, and we need urgency and innovative solutions to make change,’ Harrell said.
Just last month, the Household Pulse Survey revealed that Seattle residents are fleeing the Pacific Northwest hub at an alarming rate due to the city’s issues.
Seattle outpaced all other metro areas in the US for the number of adults who say safety concerns are leading them to consider a new hometown.
In total, seven percent of adults in the Seattle metro area felt pressure to move in the last six months because of safety concerns in their neighborhood.
That seven percent – four percent above the national average – equals about 227,000 people and includes King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.
Seattle is the number one major US metro from which adults are feeling the pressure to move due to feeling unsafe in their neighborhood
Seattle has faced a host of issues since the pandemic, which led to a pronounced spike in the violent-crime rate that is now driving adults out of the city
The homeless population in Seattle grew by nearly 38 percent from 2020 to 2022, with about 40,000 homeless people reportedly living in King County
From 2020 to 2022, the homeless population in Seattle grew by roughly 38 percent. There are now about 40,000 people reportedly living without homes in King County.
In August, members of an affluent Seattle neighborhood became enraged at a local homeless population for setting up a swimming pool in their encampment.
The expansion of the encampment sparked outrage among homeowners, who found it frustrating that officials hadn’t already moved to expunge the encampment from the enclave.