Here's How to End the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone

From the moment Antifa and Black Lives Matter militants took over an eight square block area of Seattle and dubbed it the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, or CHAZ, President Donald Trump and others have demanded that state and local authorities take it back by force and return the property to their legal owners and lessors.

"Radical Left Governor @JayInslee and the Mayor of Seattle are being taunted and played at a level that our great Country has never seen before," Trump tweeted last week. "Take back your city NOW. If you don't do it, I will. This is not a game. These ugly Anarchists must be stopped IMMEDIATELY. MOVE FAST!"

In addition, numerous nontraditional media outlets have reported recently that a group called Bikers For Trump is heading to Seattle to toss the squatters out by force.

One such website, calling itself Team Trump USA, reported that the bikers plan to meet in Seattle and liberate CHAZ on July 4 — Independence Day — adding that "The staging area will be Seward Park. The parking lot can handle roughly 10,000 bikes easily."

But recent events suggest that removing them by force would result in only more destruction of property, more violence, and possibly even loss of life.

The Daily Beast reported Sunday that their own makeshift police force, in the form of armed guards, are now patrolling the perimeter of CHAZ, which is ironic, considering that one of their demands is to disband police.

Taking the premises by force would also divide even further a nation that's at political loggerheads.

It would be far better for the militants to willingly leave on their own — and give them a little nudge in that direction. It could be done by laying siege to CHAZ.

The occupiers of CHAZ prepared a long list of "Supplied Need" shortly after moving in, which made it painfully clear that they were totally unprepared to take over a sizable chunk of the city for any period of time.

Their needs included shoes, clothing, Ice (the good kind — whatever that means), cigarettes and lighters, tents, body lotion, sunglasses and zip ties (apparently to be used as makeshift handcuffs.)

Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican and former Navy SEAL, posted a photo of their list of demands along with a message.

"I just want to remind all that when you create an 'autonomous zone,' you don't get to demand a long list of supplies from the orderly capitalist society that you are rebelling against," he tweeted. "Kind of defeats the meaning  of 'autonomous.'"

Enter the siege.

Allow no one, and especially nothing, to enter the occupied zone. No food, no cigarettes, no personal fans, no Gatorade or any of the other items on their list of "supplies Need."

And as an added nudge, it wouldn't hurt to shut off any utilities they're not actually paying for (presumably none), leaving them with no water and no power.

But while everyone is prevented from entering the zone, the occupiers would be free to leave whenever they like. It wouldn't hurt to record their names and addresses as they do, however. After all, someone has to pay to restore the public and private property that they damaged and defaced.

Since the activists took over Seattle's CHAZ, at least three other areas have experienced similar activities — a case of "monkey see, monkey do," no doubt. They include:

• Protesters who occupied the University of Chicago's Police headquarters, demanding (what else?) that the police be abolished.
• A section of Asheville, N.C. that was occupied briefly, until police took it over, destroyed their makeshift medic station and arrested the activists.
• Protesters in Nashville, Tenn., who set up camp on the capitol grounds, against the advice and warnings of the governor.

Authorities should deal with these and other "autonomous zones" as quickly as possible, but again, it doesn't have to be done with force.

CHAZ's occupiers decided Saturday to change its name to "Capitol Hill Organized Protest," or CHOP.

But it doesn't matter what they call themselves. They're still occupying property that isn't theirs, which makes their activities illegal.

For that reason, public figures like Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Seattle Mayor Jenny  Durkan shouldn't humor them — all that does is send a signal that their behavior is acceptable when it's clearly not.

The fundamental purpose of government at any level is to protect its citizens. They should deal with the occupiers as the criminals they are — but do it smartly.

Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to BizPac Review and Liberty Unyielding. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter, who can often be found honing his skills at the range. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.