Seattle Dismantles Controversial BLM Memorial Garden

City officials cite public safety concerns and plans to establish a new commemorative garden at a different location in the park.

Seattle's Black Lives Matter memorial garden in Cal Anderson Park, which had become a hotspot for crime, drug use, and homelessness, has been dismantled by city officials.
The garden, established in 2020, had been maintained by the Black Star Farmers group and was meant to honor victims of police violence.
City officials cited public health and safety concerns, vandalism, and the need for park maintenance as reasons for the garden's removal.
Despite an online petition with over 5,000 signatures to save the garden, city officials plan to reseed the area and restore the park's turf.
City officials, in partnership with the Black Farmers Collective and leaders in Seattle’s Black community, plan to establish a new commemorative garden at a different location in the park.