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Martinez PD Chief Outlines Plans Ensuring Peaceful March Sunday

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Letter from Martinez PD Chief Manjit Sappal:

July 8, 2020
Dear Community:
Many of you may be aware that we are planning for a large scale protest on July 12th. We have received numerous emails and messages from concerned business owners and residents about potential problems in our town due to the protest.

I wanted to provide some information on what we know, what we are doing, and what we expect.

As a small community thrust into the national spotlight, we are now receiving a large amount of publicity and this has translated into a planned protest on Sunday July 12th. We anticipate a large group of folks showing up to gather at the Mural on Court Street and then marching to the waterfront.

WHAT WE KNOW:
There are several organizers involved and we have been in contact with the national group, TWS Revolution, as well as the local group, Martizians for Black Lives. The organizers from both groups have been helpful and cooperative in the planning of the event. They have worked with us on their walking routes and are committed to a peaceful gathering. We do not anticipate any issues from these groups, but we do anticipate a large number of demonstrators showing up at the Mural to gather.

I know that we have many in our community that are afraid and concerned about what this event may bring. I would ask that as a community, we collectively take a deep breath. Please know that as a City, we are doing all we can to ensure that the community remains safe. We do not have any specific information that would lead us to believe there will be any problems, but we cannot predict what may occur and with that in mind, we will have adequate staff on hand. I appreciate the help from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office and all the agencies within our County that are providing officers to assist us through mutual aid.

WHAT ARE WE DOING?
Our plan is to have officers out and about on Main Street and in the general downtown area to provide patrols to the businesses downtown. In an effort to control traffic in the area and to provide a buffer between the business area, residential areas, and the protestors on Court Street, we will be blocking off the following streets starting on Saturday July 11th at 10:00 pm.

Vehicles will not be permitted to enter the area until Monday the 13th at 7:00 am:
 500-800 blocks of Ferry St.
 600-800 blocks of Las Juntas
 500-800 blocks of Court St.
 600-700 blocks of Pine St.
 800-1000 blocks of Marina Vista
 800-1000 blocks of Escobar
 800-1000 blocks of Main St.
 800-1000 blocks of Ward St.
 800-900 blocks of Green St.

While we realize that blocking the streets will be inconvenient, it will provide us the ability to properly manage foot and vehicular traffic. It will enable us to provide a buffer as well as clear lines of sight between the protest and the surrounding area. We ask that the public and our business owners not park their vehicles in these areas from Saturday at 10:00 pm to Monday morning at 7:00 am. We will be placing barricades up to block off the streets to create this buffer zone.

Furthermore, the groups involved have agreed to park their cars at the Waterfront and convene at the Mural. They will then march from the Courthouse on Court Street to Marina Vista, west towards Ferry Street, and back to the Waterfront. This should alleviate parking related issues in and around the downtown area.

WHAT DO WE EXPECT?
For anyone that is involved in the protest on Sunday – I would ask that you participate in a way that is respectful and mindful of others. Even when you may feel frustrated or angry, remember that when we lose our patience or lose control, any message we are trying to send gets lost in the delivery. Let’s all focus on sharing our message in a constructive and peaceful way.

The police department is committed to keeping the community safe. I have been asked by residents if the police will be enforcing the law. The answer is yes, we will. We want to provide an environment where people can peacefully assemble and engage in freedom of speech, but we cannot condone acts of violence, looting, damage to property, or behavior that puts the community at risk. Please help us keep this event civil and work with us to maintain the safety of our community. We are counting on you to help us help all of you. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Manjit Sappal
Chief of Police

21 COMMENTS

  1. You wanna live in this lousy world?
    Play it cool
    I wanna get even! Get cool
    I wanna bust! Bust cool
    I wanna go! Go cool

    Boy, boy, crazy boy
    Get cool, boy
    Got a rocket in your pocket
    Keep cooley cool boy
    Don’t get hot
    Cuz man you’ve got some high times ahead
    Take it slow
    And daddio you can live it up and die in bed

    Boy, boy, crazy boy
    Stay loose, boy
    Breeze it, buzz it, easy does it
    Turn off the juice boy
    Go man go
    But not like a yo-yo, school boy
    Just play it cool boy, real cool

    Easy, Action!

    Shh

    (And before anyone gets excited, these lyrics are by white gang members (“boys”) talking amongst themselves. One of them is trying to tamp down the fury.)

    Anyone over 60 will likely know these lyrics. Let’s hope we can tamp down the fury and still move forward.

  2. We’ll be visiting on Sunday — can anyone recommend a nice restaurant for afterward? About 4 of us and we’ll be hungry!! And will they be open??? Peace!!!!

  3. Thanks Chief, Thats a little more positive note from your Original post. Good to hear you have the sheriffs backing you up. It’s hard to believe this will be piecefull with around 2000 out of state protesters that have destroyed other cities, But I’m hoping for the best and backing the blue and silver sense sheriff’s are involved 👍

  4. Fact check. 1) Since it is in the future, nobody knows if 20, 200, or 2,000 out of state protesters will attend. 2) Protesters have not destroyed any cities.

    • There is an amalgam of protestors, opportunists, Anarchists, Marxists, looters, rioters and thieves. How to distinguish one from another?

      Given the national attention, I hope things remain calm. But if the Hooligans start with illegal behavior, I hope they are quickly arrested and at minimum held overnight in our county jail.

    • Protesters ~ Please help by keeping people safe and also making sure the opportunists, Anarchists, Marxists, looters, rioters and thieves don’t cause any property damage, otherwise it will defeat your purpose.

    • So, the 2 Hooligans have been charged with vandalism of a public works and a hate crime against the people of Martinez. Let’s hope they get a fair hearing and judgment. The Bundy’s, white supremacists, and other armed malefactors must have had a prior engagement because they didn’t show, and once again, an American city was not destroyed by persons exercising their rights.

  5. Thank you news24680 for trying to keep your comment sections clear of the racist propaganda I’m seeing elsewhere.

    • Thanks for noticing. We don’t like propaganda – racist or otherwise. There does seem to be a lot of it popping up out there…

    • BOOM! one angry white guy exploded! No other casualties reported except from exposure to the heat. Freedom of speech. Freedom of assembly.

      • Was that you Ray? Based upon your avatar, you are NOT a fan of the first African American president. Never mind, asking if you exploded is a rhetorical question.

  6. BLM is a Marxist hate group, just like the KKK and Black Panthers. Gullible people are hoodwincked by their hidden agenda. Even the co-founder of BLM (Patrice) admits BLM is a Marxist, anti-white organization. I’d post the video, but not sure if that’s allowed on this website. I think they’re anti anyone who isn’t black.

    The only reason more people didn’t show up — it was too hot. and no rioting or looting — they’re is nothing worth stealing in downtown Martinez, unless you’re an antique dealer.

    • You sound disappointed that there wasn’t a rumble. These were such scary organizations that sponsored this peaceful march! And, yet, they couldn’t create any violence on their own??? Weak!! Losers without big guns. LOL. Why are you so afraid of them. Peaceful protest. Peaceful assembly.

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