(Headline USA) Seattle officials shut down a park dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement this week due to rampant homelessness and drug use in the area.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department started a BLM-themed community garden in Cal Anderson Park following the riots of 2020, but announced on Wednesday that the “makeshift” garden was being removed due to public safety concerns.
Officials admitted that homeless tent encampments near the garden had made it unclean and unsafe. This year alone, the city’s Unified Care Team has had to clean up the encampments near Cal Anderson Park 76 times, the city said.
The garden had also become a frequent spot for vandalism in the public restrooms, public drug use and unauthorized camping, the department added.
“In recent months, the temporary garden has created unsafe conditions for all park users, including the vandalism of Cal Anderson public bathrooms, public drug use, unauthorized camping and a significant rodent problem, along with other issues,” said Rachel Schulkin, a spokeswoman for Seattle Parks.
Seattle officials reportedly planned to disband the garden back in October, but faced resistance from the Black Star Farmers, which helped design the garden. The group claimed the garden honors “black and indigenous people killed by police.”
However, others admitted the garden is not serving that purpose.
“The black community is unaware of the existence of the garden, and the garden does not represent any meaningful sense, the vast number of black lives extinguished by police violence,” said Darrell Powell, president of the Seattle, King County NAACP. “The Seattle-King County NAACP stands with Mayor Bruce Harrell and his administration in establishing a true representation memorializing the Black Lives lost due to police violence.”
Regardless, in an effort to appease leftist activists, the city announced it would work to find a new location for the BLM garden.
“In partnership with the Black Farmers Collective and leaders in Seattle’s black community, Mayor Harrell and the City will conceptualize a new commemorative garden,” the city said in a statement.
