Amid protests, crews clearing out last residents of 'The Jungle'

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Seattle city officials will begin clearing out the last of the homeless camps in 'The Jungle' under I-5 Tuesday as groups protest the move of the final residents.

The Tent City Collective, Stop the Sweeps and other groups disrupted an 8 a.m. news conference about the operation by state and city transportation officials. The groups said they are trying to work with the homeless there to stop the sweep of the homeless camp.

The final sweep in the East Duwamish Greenbelt comes after a months-long campaign to clean up the area.

Out of an estimated 200 tents there, there are about 40 people left. The city has been offering the homeless there options to stay in shelters, and some have accepted.

Others have not. They will be moved out as part of the final cleanup, starting at 9 a.m., and will be moved to a temporary camp about a mile away.

The Jungle under I-5 has been a longtime homeless camp known for shootings, freeway fires and unhealthy areas clogged with garbage.

The final sweep is the culmination of work that started in early September to give the people living there a chance to go elsewhere.

The Washington State Department of Transportation said they'd like to pave the dirt access road there so road inspectors have better access.

Not all of the homeless people KIRO talked to at the beginning of the move said the plan would work.

“I guarantee you the people here who I live next to are not going to lay down for this. They’re going to stay right where they’re at and police are probably going to have to haul them to jail. When they get out, they’re going to come right back and sit down,” said Jungle resident Kevin Boyd.

The city said they'll hold onto belongings for the 42 people there for up to two months.