CHOP, or the Capitol Hill Occupied or Organized Protest, formerly known as CHAZ, has been in the headlines lately. On June 8th, Seattle Police officers boarded up the East Precinct on Capitol Hill after more than a week of sustained protests by residents following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Since then, a police-free community has spread out to Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park and between Broadway and 12th on Pine.

While there were two shootings there over the weekend that left one dead and two injured, the area has been mostly peaceful, with almost a festival vibe to it. There’s art and music amplifying the message that Black Lives Matter. KEXP’s Sharlese Metcalf spent some time at CHOP last week and brought back an audio postcard.