A couple of days ago, after nationally televised demonstration:
"Today at about 1pm, members of the Huntington Beach Police Department responded to the intersection of Walnut and Main regarding a protest. The protesters were at the location to demonstrate their desire for the re-opening of the California economy. The crowd was initially small, but by about 1:30pm, it quickly grew to a group of over 200 people.
While the department worked to get enough resources there to manage the protest effectively, the people at the location began violating some of our local ordinances regarding public assembly including walking in the middle of the street and carrying signs with large sticks that could be used as weapons. Once we had sufficient officers in place, they utilized great restraint in dealing with circumstances that could have escalated into significant police action. We were able to contact the organizers of the protest and disperse the majority of the crowd peacefully without incident or without any arrests.
Our department, along with law enforcement in general, is in a difficult spot given the circumstances the Stay at Home Order has had on peoples’ lives while upholding minor violations of the law. This does not mean we condone the protest, nor will we ignore future gatherings such as these, but we do understand people’s emotions are high and many are frustrated with the current Executive Order.
We are asking our community and those that visit Huntington Beach to remember we are under an Executive Order by the State, which specifically states all residents of California should stay at home in an effort to help flatten the curve in regard to community spread of COVID-19. The more people are out and gathered in groups, the more COVID-19 will spread in our community and endanger lives. If we keep spreading the disease, the more likely we will have to continue this order for a longer period of time. After all the work we have put in thus far to comply with the State order, we do not want to see a resurgence of the disease.
Although this event was peaceful, we do not encourage our residents to loosen their social distancing practices just yet. It is still not okay to gather in groups. As we work with local, state and federal government officials, we ask that you continue to be patient and stay the course. Public safety will continue to be our top priority, and we ask that you continue to follow the orders set forth by the State of California."
