From the Heritage Foundation, I'm Michelle Cordero, and this is Heritage Explains.

By now, most of us know about Seattle's Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, also known as Chas and Chop.

In the wake of recent protests against police brutality, a self-styled alternative community has sprung up in Seattle. It happened after

police withdrew to the edges of the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood in an attempt to de-escalate

tensions with demonstrators. Activists have since occupied and assumed control over a six-block

stretch of land.

Early on, Seattle's mayor, Jenny Durkin, was content in letting the occupation of the property continue, even calling it the summer of love.

I know there's the an acronym that it is now the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone.

I got news for people. It's been

autonomous my whole lifetime. And anybody who knows and loves Capitol Hill knows that to be true.

I want to make clear that for myself and for the city and for Chief Best, the First Amendment

rights of residents must be protected and protesters must feel safe when they express their First Amendment rights.

Over the past few days, we've had peaceful demonstrations across the city.

Unfortunately, our president wants to tell a story about domestic terrorists who have a radical agenda and are promoting a conspiracy

and fits his law and order initiatives. It's simply not true.

Media outlets on the left painted the Autonomous Zone as a festival. And maybe parts of it did seem

that way. I saw some coverage of dancing and even a Ben and Jerry's truck handing out free

ice cream. But in the span of two weeks, things have dramatically changed. Here's Fox News,

Martha McCallum.

Right now, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkett announced a plan to send the police back in to the chop protest zone and to reclaim the East Precinct that she made them abandoned two weeks ago.

This after two shootings this weekend where one person was killed and another person was critically injured.

Watch what she had to say.

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