Dozens of activists protested a homeless camp sweep in Seattle’s Ravenna Woods on Tuesday by attempting to block city trucks from accessing the site.
“We’re here to say enough is enough, and they have every right to stay here,” said Daeshik Kim Hawkins, a Seattle People’s Party organizer, who protested the sweep.
Protesters claim the city isn’t providing adequate resources to the people at the encampments and do not efficiently store camper possessions in a way that makes it easy for campers to get the back.
The activists held signs that read, “Do homeless lives matter,” and lined up to block city trucks from entering the site.
The Ravenna Woods homeless camp has been swept several times in the last few months and campers keep returning, according to Will Lemke, a spokesman for Seattle’s Navigation Team, which helps connect the homeless to services.
However, this sweep was sparked after the city learned one of the encampment residents, who is a felon, was arrested at the end for March for possessing assault rifle ammunition.
“That type of criminal behavior was priority for removal,” said Lemke.
The camp was recently inspected in early April, and sweep notices were posted April 12, according to Lemke.
