Activists expressed outrage Tuesday night after the Seattle City Council voted to make drug possession and use a serious misdemeanor in the city where drug and homelessness rates are soaring.
In a video taken at the meeting, supporters of the city’s laissez-faire laws shared their anger over the 6-3 vote they call the “war on drugs 2.0.”
“You have blood on your hands,” crowd members can be heard shouting at council members after the vote in a video posted by journalist Jon Choe.
Although the order encourages police to prioritize diversion over charges, violators face up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
The Emerald City has become one of the cities with the largest homelessness and drug problems in the United States, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A recent survey found that some 50,000 residents have left Seattle in the past six months for safety reasons. Seven percent of area adults also reported feeling pressured to move because of concerns.
Activists strongly opposed the Seattle City Council’s adoption of an ordinance that makes drug possession and use a serious misdemeanor.
A man can be seen here openly using a hypodermic needle while lying on the sidewalk.
According to the Seattle Times, the bill only recommends arresting a person found using or possessing cannabis when that person “poses a threat of harm to others.”
Although many netizens called the ordinance common sense, activists at the city council meeting were furious about the bill’s passage.
Attendees spent several minutes shouting down city council members for their decision to pass the bill, even saying they were “on the side of the alt-right.”
At one point, one of the men in the audience calls out Councilwoman Lis Herbold, a Democrat, who voted to pass the ordinance.
“Lisa, you’ve done so much good in eight years and you’re going to end up like this,” a man can be heard saying in the video.
Others repeatedly shout “blood on your hands” at the top of their lungs as they leave the room, holding signs and protesting.
Council members who voted to adopt the ordinance stood firm in their votes.
“I hope we see a measurable increase in the number of people recovering, taking advantage of services and getting off the streets,” Councilman Andrew Lewis said, according to KING 5.
“I hope we see accountability for the people who refuse these services, who continue to disrupt public services on our streets by not taking advantage of them,” said Lewis, who voted no on a previous version of the ordinance .
Herbold also voted no in June.
The local ordinance now matches national legislation that took effect earlier this year, allowing prosecutors to pursue violators.
Seattle, unlike other Washington cities, did not immediately adopt the ordinance, making its local drug code less strict than the rest of the state.
The ordinance, which makes drug possession and use punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, was passed by the council in a 6-3 vote.
Crime, homelessness, and public drug use are all issues that have increased in Seattle since the pandemic and each have a negative impact on crime rates.
In July, the Seattle City Council voted against passing a law that would have allowed the city attorney’s office to prosecute public drug cases.
Three of the Seattle City Council members said they believed the ordinance would do more harm than good.
Councilmember Tammy Morales called the bill “ineffective.”
“It adds potential racial harm and makes false promises at a time when people are desperate for solutions,” she said. “This bill is unnecessary, dare I say performative.”
The bill will take effect 30 days after it is signed by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.
In a statement after the vote, he confirmed he would approve it immediately, calling it a “necessary step forward.”
“As soon as this bill reaches my desk, I will sign it,” Harrell wrote.
Another homeless man is seen here in the city’s Ballard neighborhood, which faces a high crime rate.
As of September 20, there have been 800 opioid overdose deaths, 767 fentanyl-related and 507 methamphetamine-related deaths in King County.
For comparison, in 2022 there were 804 opioid overdose deaths, 714 fentanyl deaths and 533 methamphetamine deaths, according to public health data.
“Fentanyl is tragically killing thousands of people in our city and across the country, and we urgently need innovative solutions to bring about change,” Harrell said.
Last month, the Household Pulse survey found that Seattle residents were fleeing the central Pacific Northwest at an alarming rate because of the city’s problems.
Seattle surpassed all other U.S. metro areas in the number of adults who say safety concerns lead them to consider moving to a new hometown.
In total, seven Percent of adults in the Seattle metro area have felt pressure to move in the past six months due to safety concerns in their neighborhood.
That seven percent — four percent above the national average — equates to about 227,000 people and includes King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.
Seattle is the first major U.S. metropolis where adults feel pressure to move due to feelings of unsafety in their neighborhoods.
Seattle has faced numerous problems since the pandemic, which have led to a pronounced increase in the violent crime rate that is now causing adults to leave the city.
The homeless population in Seattle increased by nearly 38% between 2020 and 2022, with approximately 40,000 homeless people living in King County.
From 2020 to 2022, Seattle’s homeless population increased by approximately 38%. There are now an estimated 40,000 people living without a home in King County.
In August, members of an affluent Seattle neighborhood became enraged at a local homeless population who had installed a swimming pool in their encampment.
The encampment’s expansion sparked outrage among owners, who found it frustrating that authorities had not yet taken steps to remove the encampment from the enclave.