In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Barr said the federal government had a responsibility to protect the federal rights of U.S. citizens, but would not go into specifics about federal plans for dealing with the CHAZ area.
The attorney general also took aim at the nationwide demonstrations against police brutality, arguing that “a lot” of them had been hijacked by anarchists interested in violence.
Speaking on the Sunday Morning Futures show yesterday, Barr said there were “legitimate demonstrators” in Seattle raising concerns about police brutality.
“But a lot of these demonstrations have been hijacked by essentially anarchistic groups and professional agitators, who are really in it just for the violence and the confrontation,” the attorney general added.
“So I do make a distinction between legitimate, peaceful demonstrators and these violent agitators who are involved throughout the country.”
Asked if the federal government had a responsibility to intervene in the CHAZ, Barr said: “In the first instance, it’s the responsibility of the local officials and then the state officials to protect the rights of their citizens.
“At the end of the day, the federal government does have a responsibility to make sure citizens are not deprived of their federal rights.”
Pressed on what the federal government specifically planned to do about the CHAZ, the attorney general said he would not go into specifics, but added that the administration was “keeping an eye on” the zone.
“As the president said in due course we may have to do something about it,” Barr said. “But we can’t let it go on indefinitely.”
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Justice for further comment. This article will be updated with any response.
Barr warned of possible federal intervention in the Seattle CHAZ a day after two people were shot in the protest district of the Washington city.
Police said they were investigating the shooting in the “no-cop” area on Saturday after one person was reported dead following the incident. Seattle Police Department said it had received several reports of gunshots being heard in the CHAZ at around 2:30 a.m.
“Homicide detectives are investigating following a fatal shooting that occurred early Saturday morning at 10th Avenue and East Pine Street,” Seattle Police said in a Saturday statement. “One man was declared deceased at the hospital and another male is being treated for life-threatening injuries.”
Officers added that they were “met by a violent crowd” when they arrived in the CHAZ area and attempted to find the shooting victim, who they later discovered was taken to the Harborview Medical Center by medics in the zone.
Bodycam footage of the police arriving at the CHAZ shows protesters shouting at officers to leave the district. They eventually flee as protesters surround their vehicles.
