The mayor of Seattle said on Thursday it would be unconstitutional and "illegal" for President Donald Trump to send military forces there to clear protesters occupying part of the city.
Mayor Jenny Durkan's comments at an afternoon news conference came in response to tweets by Trump vowing on Twitter to "take back" the city if local officials did not act.
"It is unconstitutional and illegal to send the military to Seattle," Durkan said.
At the same news conference, Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said the protesters could not remain camped behind barricades in the city's Capitol Hill neighborhood.
The encampment formed after weeks of protests over the death in Minneapolis of a black man, George Floyd, in police custody.