Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson Faces World Cup Protests as CID Businesses Report 10-20% Sales Declines
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 6
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson Faces World Cup Protests as CID Businesses Report 10-20% Sales Declines
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 6
Summary
Seattle’s Chinatown-International District and Little Saigon residents protested Mayor Katie Wilson ahead of the U.S.-Belgium World Cup match, accusing her of letting crime, homeless encampments and open-air drug dealing overwhelm their neighborhoods.
Business owners near Lumen Field say safety fears are keeping fans away despite the tournament crowds, with former council member Tanya Woo saying many CID businesses are seeing 10-20% lower sales than a year ago.
Gary Lee, a CID advocate, called the district a "human dumping ground" and a "ghost town," while Woo said the neighborhood has become largely a rideshare pickup and drop-off zone instead of sharing in World Cup spending.
Wilson said the city had tried to draw visitors beyond the downtown corridor, and her office said crime and disorder in the CID had gone unaddressed for too long and that it is working with the community.