A group of homeless activists were arrested after they took over the first two floors of a hotel in Olympia, Washington, on Sunday (January 31). Authorities said that about 45 people, who were members of the group Oly Housing Now, stormed inside the lobby "armed with items such as hatchets, batons, knives and had gas masks, helmets, and goggles," and demanded the hotel open its rooms for homeless people.
Authorities said that the group had booked 17 rooms at the hotel for homeless people and demanded that city officials tap into money provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay for the rooms until the coronavirus pandemic is over.
One employee was assaulted by the mob, while others hid in the basement and called 911. Guests at the hotel were forced to stay inside their rooms for most of the day.
"The regular guests that have been here have been stuck in their rooms all day, and then the employees have been locked in the basement all day," a woman whose mother works at the hotel told KOMO. "She said there were people hiding in the stairways and stuff like that."
By the time officers arrived, the group had managed to take over the first two floors and had covered the windows with tarps.
A SWAT team was called in went room-by-room to evacuate the employees and guests. Officials said that 12 people were arrested during the raid, and more could be taken into custody during the course of the investigation. It is not immediately clear what charges they are facing.
Authorities said that the homeless people who were in the hotel will not be allowed to stay and were being connected with the appropriate services.
"Making sure our unhoused residents have access to safe and affordable housing has been Olympia's priority for more than a decade," said Mayor Cheryl Selby in a statement. "Olympia has led on responding to homelessness, on coordinating shelter and other basic needs. The tactics used today by Oly Housing Now are unproductive and won't make the mission more attainable."
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