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Seattle socialist mayor Katie Wilson is facing protests ahead of today’s U.S. World Cup match in her city as members of the local Chinese and Vietnamese communities are accusing her of abandoning their neighborhoods to crime and open air drug dealing.
One organizer went so far as to accuse progressive Wilson of treating Seattle’s Chinatown International District (CID) as a “human dumping ground” for homeless and drug addicts.
While Seattle has hosted some of the World Cup’s biggest matches, including today’s U.S. versus Belgium match, residents and business owners in the CID and “Little Saigon” say their neighborhoods are missing out on the economic benefits due to safety concerns leading people to avoid the area, according to local outlet KIRO 7.
Business owners are reporting a significant decline in foot traffic and business despite being less than a mile from Lumen Field. As frustrations mount, many are blaming Wilson’s leadership and taking to the streets to protest against her in front of World Cup crowds.
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At one rally, Gary Lee, a CID advocate, said into a microphone that “Wilson claims to be an advocate for marginalized communities of color, but all she did was turn the CID into a human dumping ground and we’ve had enough,” KIRO 7 reported.
In an interview with the outlet, Lee said, “When I look at the TV, I see that the waterfront is jampacked, Pioneer Square is jampacked. When I go over to Chinatown, it’s just like dead.”
“I hate to say it, but it feels like a ghost town,” he said of the CID.
Fox News Digital reached out to Wilson for comment, however, the mayor did not respond by the time of publication.
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When CID residents started venting their frustrations, Wilson responded, “We’ve definitely seen, like, a lot of energy was put into trying to make sure that as visitors are coming, they are, you know, venturing out of that downtown corridor.”
In a statement sent to KIRO 7, Wilson’s office said that “crime and disorder issues in the CID have gone unaddressed for far too long. We continue to work with the CID community to address their concerns and ensure it is a safe, active, and vibrant neighborhood.”
Meanwhile, Fox 13 Seattle reported that community activist and former city council member Tanya Woo said many businesses in the district are seeing a 10-20% decline in sales.
Woo called on community members to join her in walking to the stadium area on Monday to “personally invite fans to eat, shop, and experience the Chinatown-International District.”
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“Many businesses in the Chinatown-International District are reporting sales declines compared to this time last year. Although thousands of FIFA fans are coming to Seattle, our neighborhood has largely become a rideshare pickup and drop-off zone,” she wrote.
In another post, Woo wrote that “Seattle’s Chinatown International District should be benefiting from the FIFA World Cup, not being left behind.”
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