Durkan issued an executive order Tuesday in response to "reported life safety, public health and property issues" in and around the East Precinct and Cal Anderson Park area, which protesters have occupied for the past few weeks and which has been marred by a series of shootings.
"Due to ongoing violence and public safety issues in the East Precinct/Cal Anderson Park area, Mayor Jenny Durkan has issued an executive order to vacate the area. Seattle police will be in the area this morning enforcing the Mayor's order," the Seattle Police Department tweeted.
Police tweeted anyone who remains in the area or returns to it will be subject to arrest.
"Commanders have issued a dispersal order in accordance with the Mayor's emergency order. All protestors are being asked to leave the immediate area within eight minutes. Safe exit is to the South and West," police said.
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said in a statement the move comes after violence in the zone.
"As I have said, and I will say again, I support peaceful demonstrations. Black Lives Matter, and I too want to help propel this movement toward meaningful change in our community. But enough is enough," she said.
Thousands of protesters have occupied the four-to-six block area -- known as CHOP or CHAZ -- since early June in an effort to demand police reform following the police killing of George Floyd. But there have been five shootings in the area in the past two weeks, including two fatal ones, undermining its original motivation.
"It is over because of the violence," Seattle community leader Andre Taylor told CNN last week. "I've told people here don't be focused on the location. CHOP is not a location, it is an idea."
Dustin Akers, who lives in an apartment complex in the heart of the CHOP area, took several videos of police clearing the zone around 5 a.m. Wednesday.
Living in the area has been "incredibly unstable and violent around the clock for the past two weeks," Akers told CNN.
"It started out well intentioned and then quickly took a turn for the worse. The occupied area is now empty with tents and supplies thrown everywhere."
He also shared an excerpt that his apartment complex, Packard Building Apartments, owned by Equity Residential, shared with residents on June 30.
"Since the occupation of the streets surrounding our building, tenants have been subjected to violence, threats, vandalism, noise, lewd conduct, public defecation, daily fights and limited access to the building," the complex wrote.
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Seattle Police disperse protesters in occupied CHOP area after emergency order - CNN
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