Protests are expected to erupt in Seattle ahead of today's U.S. World Cup match as members of the local Chinese and Vietnamese communities accuse the city's mayor, Katie Wilson, of abandoning their neighborhoods to crime and open-air drug dealing.
Residents and business owners in the Chinatown International District (CID) and "Little Saigon" claim their neighborhoods are missing out on the economic benefits of hosting the World Cup due to safety concerns, which have led people to avoid the area. Business owners report a significant decline in foot traffic and business, despite being less than a mile from Lumen Field.
Frustrations have been mounting, with many blaming Wilson's leadership and taking to the streets to protest against her in front of World Cup crowds. At one rally, advocate Gary Lee stated, "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."
Lee expressed his disappointment, saying, "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." He described the CID as a "ghost town," with little activity or economic activity.
Wilson's office responded to the concerns, stating 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."
Community activist and former city council member Tanya 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." Woo noted that many businesses in the district are seeing a 10-20% decline in sales.
Woo urged, "Seattle's Chinatown International District should be benefiting from the FIFA World Cup, not being left behind." Despite the thousands of FIFA fans coming to Seattle, the CID has largely become a rideshare pickup and drop-off zone, she wrote.
