A homeless activist group forcibly occupied the Red Lion hotel in Olympia Sunday, forcing employees and guests of the hotel to shelter in place, police said.
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Police in Olympia arrested at least a dozen people after they occupied the Red Lion hotel in the 600 block of Capitol Way South near the state Capitol grounds Sunday.
Police received multiple 911 calls from employees at the Red Lion around 11 a.m. Sunday saying numerous individuals were entering their lobby armed with batons, knives and axes. One employee was assaulted as they tried to close the doors and the rest fled to the basement, according to an Olympia police spokesperson.
The group has since been identified as Oly Housing Now, a homeless activist group, according to a city press release. The group had reserved 17 rooms before the occupation, which were being used by unhoused individuals, city officials said.
When police arrived, there were about 45 members of the group inside and outside of the hotel. The group had occupied the 4th and 5th floors and were placing black tarps on the windows, according to police.
Employees in the basement continued to shelter in place, and guests in about 40 rooms not associated with the group did the same, while officers obtained a search warrant for the building.
According to police, a Thurston County judge granted a search warrant for first degree burglary, trespassing and conspiracy to commit burglary.
At 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Olympia police along with the Thurston County Sheriff's Office and Washington State Patrol's SWAT team entered the hotel and began arresting individuals.
As of Sunday night, 12 people had been arrested. The SWAT team conducted a room-by-room search and employees and guests were escorted safely out of the building.
According to the city's statement, Olympia's Crisis Response Unit responded to the hotel to connect the unhoused individuals to services. They will not be allowed to remain at the hotel.
“Making sure our unhoused residents have access to safe and affordable housing has been Olympia’s priority for more than a decade,” said Mayor Cheryl Selby in a statement Sunday night. “Olympia has led on responding to homelessness, on coordinating shelter and other basic needs. The tactics used today by Oly Housing Now are unproductive and won’t make the mission more attainable.”
February 01, 2021 at 11:41AM
https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/olympia/dozen-arrested-red-lion-hotel-occupation-olympia/281-64a1d825-4a29-4c36-a07d-50dda875198a
12 arrested in Olympia after occupying Red Lion hotel near state Capitol - KING5.com
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