Fifteen businesses and individuals filed a class action lawsuit against the city of Seattle over how officials handled the so-called autonomous zone that sprang up earlier this month, leading to chaos and mayhem on city streets.
After the Seattle Police Department abruptly abandoned its East Precinct in the second week of June, protesters took control of barriers and re-positioned them to block off access to an area comprising about six blocks. Occupiers later stopped police from entering. Response times to crimes in the area, including rape, soared.
