A group of Antifa activists have begun squatting in a Tacoma, Washington-area hotel, and now they’re demanding the city pay for their occupation with police funds.
Sixteen rooms at the Tacoma/Fife Travelodge were occupied by over three-dozen “homeless” members of Antifa, who claim they have nowhere to go in the midst of freezing conditions.
While they paid for their first night of booking, leaders of the group Tacoma Housing Now are now expecting the city to pay for them by taking funds from the police.
Journalist Andy Ngo reported on Twitter that “the group responsible for occupying the motel is part of Antifa,” and that “extremist site It’s Going Down has published a post by them. They say some of their members are ‘veterans’ of the recent antifa street battles in Olympia, Wash.”
Autonomous zone: A far-left group booked 16 rooms for one night in a struggling motel near Seattle. But it was a scam. The dozens of activists are refusing to leave & won’t pay. And police won’t remove the trespassers. https://t.co/aBX4xMrmhh
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) December 29, 2020
“Housing people in unoccupied hotels doesn’t ruin anyone‘s business,” Tacoma House Now tweeted in response. “If you care about protecting empty spaces more than saving human lives, that says a lot about your ethics and values. We will not accept one more death on the streets!”
According to the KOMO News, the hotel’s operator, Shawn Randhawa, has begged police to do something, but so far has had no luck with law enforcement or city officials.
“They may have to close up shop because with no revenues coming in, with their margins where they are, they may have to close operations, said Fife City Manager Hyun Kim. “So, I’m trying to buy some time. It starts with conversations with both sides.” This is a societal issue. We have to start the dialogue, but this kind of confrontation, this kind of being splashy about how to get this moving forward is going to lead to more distrust on both sides.”
Randhawa told the press that he is running out of options.
“I’m just devastated,” Randhawa said. “Because of the protest, I have nothing else. I was barely getting through this pandemic, and now this. This Christmas, the Grinch came.”
It is unknown why police are not responding.
“I’ll have to lock the doors. and if the city won’t kick them out, they can have it,” he told The News Tribune. “I’ll shut off the water and I’m not fighting with these people.”
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