Thread: San Diego Pollice Say Logistics of Sun. March No Problem

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Logistics of march not worry for police


Officials confident regardless of size
By Alex Roth
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
April 7, 2006

Depending on the size of Sunday's immigration march, police might close off some streets in downtown San Diego to traffic, but authorities say the event won't cause any big logistical problems, even though the Padres are playing a home game that afternoon.

Everyone from police to the march's organizers predicts the event will be peaceful, but no one seems to agree on the crowd size. Estimates range from the hundreds to 50,000.

Sunday's march
Organizers are describing the event as a “rally for humane and comprehensive immigration reform.” It's scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. with a series of speeches in Balboa Park near Sixth Avenue and Laurel Street. The walk will begin at 2 p.m., heading south on Sixth, then west on Broadway and north on Pacific Highway, ending at the County Administration Center, where more speeches are planned.


Depending on how many people show up, police might close some streets, or even the entire route, to automobiles. If the crowd is relatively small, marchers probably will be told to stay on sidewalks and streets will remain open, San Diego police Capt. Christopher Ball said yesterday.

“If we've got 300 people, they'll probably stay on the sidewalk,” Ball said. “If we've got 3,000, they're probably going to be in a couple traffic lanes. If we have 10,000, chances are we'll close down some streets.”

A similar rally in downtown Los Angeles on March 25 drew an estimated 500,000 people to protest federal legislation that would crack down on undocumented immigrants and tighten security by building more fencing along the Mexican border.

Organizers of the San Diego rally – which include religious, union and civil-rights groups – are still working out logistics for what could turn out to be the largest San Diego-area political demonstration in years. They're trying to line up portable toilets. They're training volunteers to work crowd-management.

Jessica Nolan, a spokeswoman for the organizers, said there is every reason to believe participants won't engage in any acts of civil disobedience.

“This must be a peaceful march,” she said. “This will be a peaceful march.”


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Police will staff the event with extra officers on motorcycles and horseback, and an additional 16 officers will walk the route, San Diego police Staff Sgt. Tracy Dishno said.

The extra cost won't be known until after the march, department spokesman Dave Cohen said.

“It's going to be a good bit of money,” Cohen said.

While some officers covering the march are on their regular schedule, others will earn overtime, Cohen said. Some officers are coming in on their day off. Others are starting early or staying late.

Although the Padres game against the Colorado Rockies is scheduled to begin at 1:05 p.m. at Petco Park, authorities don't think the baseball crowd will intersect with the protesters because the march will remain north of Market Street, Dishno said.

Organizers say they probably won't be providing shuttle service at the end of the rally, meaning participants who need to return to Balboa Park to get their cars must take public transportation or walk.
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Staff writer Tony Manolatos contributed to this report.
Alex Roth: (619) 542-4558; alex.roth@uniontrib.com

I'm sure the ICE agents will be there in full force, ready to pick up those illegals they say they have no idea how to find. They did promise interior enforcement for all illegals, what a better place to start, I'm pretty positive they'll find at least a few illegals present.