Yuma police officers take precautions at teacher protest
Authorities wanted to be sure event was safe
A police spokesperson said the presence of officers at the intersection of 4th Avenue and 16th Street on Thursday, where large crowds of red-shirt-wearing teachers and their supporters had gathered, was purely “precautionary.”
“We were not there to interfere or put a stop to it,” said Sgt. Lori Franklin. “We were not expecting anything to happen. We just wanted to make sure everybody was safe, and that if something did happen, we were already there.”
Franklin explained that the teachers, many of whom were also chanting and carrying protest signs, had been taking part of a planned state-wide walkout to demand higher salaries and better overall school funding from the state.
While some parents had made angry comments on social media about the protest, Franklin said Yuma police were not anticipating any kind of trouble.
In all, about 20 officers, some of whom were school resource officers, six patrol cars, two motorcycle officers, several bicycle cops, as well the department’s command center were spread out around all four of the intersection’s corners.
Franklin said the main focus was public safety, which entailed keeping the sidewalks clear, making sure traffic continued to move through the intersection, and to respond to any other emergency that may arise.
“We were initially given an estimate of between 100 and 500 protesters by the organizers,” Franklin said.
Due to the temperatures, which were in the low- to mid-90’s, the United Yuma Firefighters Association was also on scene handing out free water.
Franklin added that she was not aware of any medical emergencies and that the protest remained peaceful throughout the day.