At least seven people were detained late Sunday after homeless activists, some allegedly armed with bibles and knives, allegedly “forcibly” occupied the lobby and 17 rooms at the Red Lion Hotel in Olympia, Wash.
The activists were with a group calling themselves Oly Housing Now. They occupied the hotel in an apparent takeover bid to claim pandemic housing, reports say.
City officials said in a release that Olympia Police (OPD) had received reports that employees felt threatened by the group and that at least one employee was allegedly assaulted.
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Law enforcement and SWAT teams have closed the nearby road and are going floor-to-floor through the hotel, reports The Olympian. A group of hotel workers who fled after activating the hotel in the basement were safely removed from the building, authorities said.
Shauna Sowersby, a reporter, tweeted that a loud bang was heard in the hotel just before 11pm local time. She said flashes also went off when officers tried to clean the building.
A crowd across the hotel was later seen singing and harassing local law enforcers, according to videos on social media.
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The group bought one night in the hotel on Saturday night and moved in 33 homeless people, reports said. On Sunday afternoon, at least 35 members of the group gathered in the foyer and outside the hotel.
OPD later estimated about 45 members of the group inside and outside the hotel.
Oly Housing Now has released a list of claims and plans to remain indefinite until Thurston County has applied for permanent housing funds.
The group wants the province to apply for funding offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to pay for ‘non-meeting’ shelter, according to the newspaper.
In particular, homeless people over the age of 65 or existing health conditions, which increased during the pandemic.
Around 11 a.m., officials said people in the Red Lion called 911 to report that a group was forcibly taking over the hotel.
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“Employees reported that some members of the activist group in the hotel were armed with objects such as bibles, batons, knives and apparently gas masks, helmets and goggles in preparation for a confrontation,” according to the release.
The city’s crisis response unit is at the scene and will connect casualties with ‘services’, officials said. The residents are not allowed to stay at the hotel.
“To ensure that our uninhabited residents have access to safe and affordable housing, Olympia has been a priority for more than a decade,” said Mayor Cheryl Selby. “Olympia has led to the response to homelessness, the coordination of shelter and other basic needs. The tactics used by Oly Housing Now today are unproductive and will no longer make the mission feasible.”
The OPD expects there will be more arrests with the occupation, reports say.
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The investigation continues.