Protests stretch into 8th day as peaceful group stays overnight on Capitol Hill

SEATTLE — Crowds of protesters remained in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood into the early morning hours Friday.

For the first time since the protests started a week ago, there were no major clashes or arrests in the last 24 hours.

>> Mayor, police chief discuss five changes in response to Seattle protests

By Friday morning, only a small group of protesters remained. One man in the small group at 11th and Pine danced as music played.

Since Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan lifted a curfew earlier this week after meeting with community members, protesters are allowed to stay out all night.

Changes to police actions were also made. One of the key things protesters wanted was for officers to not obscure their badge numbers with black mourning bands. They will now wear armbands so their badge numbers can be seen.

Officers were also told to stand further away from barricades separating them from protesters. There are also better sound systems so protesters can hear commands from police.

Even with the changes, some people at demonstrations said the tension is palpable.

"It is a little threatening going up there seeing them shake their bottles, stare at us, and make us feel uncomfortable. We wanted them to come out and protest with us, stand, kneel with us. They didn't want that. Clearly, they have a different perspective. We're here for peace. We're here for justice,” a woman told KIRO 7.

There are also plans to revisit an old policy of not letting police wear body cameras during protests, and officials are considering whether they should ban the use of flash-bangs and tear gas.

King County’s chief health officer said that the agency opposes using tear gas because of the potential to increase the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

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