Recent Open California protesters at Main Beach carried flags on poles as they called for loosening restrictions during the state’s coronavirus quarantine.
Concerned when some of the protesters waved their flags, and the poles they were attached to, near passing motorists and motorcycles, Laguna Beach Police Chief Laura Farinella asked the City Council this week to consider an emergency order extending the city’s prohibition on carrying or possessing items or articles generally considered a weapon during demonstrations on public streets and property to include poles.
During their May 2 protest in Laguna Beach, protesters told police the law enacted by the city in 2017 following an America First! rally, did not address poles in the items listed as illegal.
“When the Police Department and lifeguards responded, poles could have been used as weapons,” Farinella said. “Some were very long, and in some cases, people held two.
“To ensure safety, I’ve recommended an emergency ordinance that now includes sidewalks, alleys, streets, and public buildings,” she said.
On Tuesday, May 12, the City Council unanimously agreed. The ordinance goes into effect immediately.
It will provide better protection for the community, law enforcement and those participating in the rallies, Farinella said. Protests are occurring across California, and she said she anticipates more to be planned in Laguna Beach.
If protesters wish to carry flags, they must remove the poles and carry them in their hands. Those who defy the order could face a misdemeanor.
In 2017, following a violent America First! rally at Main Beach, Laguna Beach leaders made it illegal to carry metal pipes, metal beverage containers, containers with bio-hazards, lumber, bricks, rocks, pepper spray or ice picks at a rally or political assembly at a city park or beach.
Laguna Beach, then, was the first city in Orange County to pass such a law.
