Promoted anti-Trump protest at Antioch Marina, Thursday night doesn’t happen
Antioch Police officers speak with a small group of individuals believed to be in the Antioch Marina parking lot for an anti-Trump protest, Thursday night, November 10, 2016
By Allen Payton
What if they held a protest and almost no one showed up? That’s pretty much what happened at the Antioch Marina between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., Thursday night, November 10th.
Just before 7:00 p.m., Thursday night, a Herald reporter received via text from an acquaintance in Antioch, an ad promoting an anti-Trump protest scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. at 5 Marina Plaza in Antioch, which is the address of the Antioch Marina.
Two police cars blocked access to the marina parking lot.
Labeled as “A movement to fight racism, sexism, homophobia and Islamaphobia” with the social media address of #ResistTrump, the “Protest Trump in Antioch” possibly attracted two small groups of individuals. One group made up of about six people who appeared to be in the late teens to late 20’s got out of three cars parked near the entrance to the Antioch Marina parking lot. However, none of them had any protest signs with them, nor were they displaying any hats or shirts indicating any protest of the president-elect.
Four police cars rolled up and officers got out and let the suspected protesters know that the parking lot closed at dusk, as the sign, located right next to where they park, described. However, the parking lot is open to those with boats at the marina. They got back into their cars and drove away.
The sign at the entrance of the Antioch Marina parking lot.
Another group of about six young people, who appeared the same age as the first group, walked by through the turn-around circle at the end of L Street near the entrances of both the marina and boat launch parking lots. The boat launch parking lot is off limits to everyone except boaters, 24-hours a day. That group just kept walking across the street, onto the crosswalk, and continued heading south on L Street toward the Antioch Police Facility. None of them were carrying protest signs either. So there was no indication they were actually there for a protest.
Two police officers remained until about 8:45 p.m. blocking the entrance to the marina parking lot, leaving enough room for any boaters who might need access. Only two cars drove past during that time. The officers also turned away a few more cars that drove around the circle. As he said he was ordered, the final officer remained at the marina parking lot until 9:00 p.m.
the attachments to this post:
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