Seattle City Hall was packed on Tuesday afternoon, with outraged citizens and fearful neighbors clashing over proposed buffer zones designed to crack down on illegal drug use and prostitution.
The controversial legislation, known as the SOAP and SODA zones has sparked intense debate with dozens lining up hours before the council meeting to voice their opinions.Tensions ran high during today’s council meeting, following last week’s chaotic vote in the Public Safety Committee.At that meeting, one protester was arrested, and city property was defaced with the message "Cathy Moore hates the poor" scrawled on the floor outside council chambers.
Councilmember Bob Kettle also backed the bill, arguing it would reduce turf wars and associated violence. "There’s competing interests, and often in this business world, they resolve those interests with gunfire," Kettle said.But critics argue that this is a sideways policy that will do more harm than good, by further stigmatizing sex workers without addressing underlying issues.
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