By BOB SHRALUKA
WZBD.com
The Decatur Police Department’s security plans for the June 28 Pride Festival were outlined at Tuesday night’s city council meeting, a meeting at which one member of council asked another member to affect a change in the event.
Police Chief Kevin Gerber presented to council a map which shows an area which will be barricaded, with no vehicles allowed, an area designated for protests.
The closed area will be on Madison St., from Second St. to the alley which runs north from Madison (outlined in red on the map). That portion of Madison, along with the courthouse lawn “will be the predesignated area for any protesters wishing to exercise their First Amendment rights,” the chief said.
The area will be barricaded from 5 until 10 p.m.
The yellow lines on the map show the Madison St. Plaza.
Gerber issued a reminder that Second St. is closed to through traffic due to the roundabout construction, leading to increased traffic on First and Third streets.
CALL A HALT: As the meeting was winding down, veteran councilman Matt Dyer thanked the chief for “being proactive,” and he went on to talk about some of what he said were inappropriate portions of demonstrations in the city of late.
One was a sign last Saturday with an F-bomb and the name of Trump on it; the sign was seen all over social media.
“It’s inappropriate,” Dyer said. “I don’t care who the president is. It’s just not appropriate and I’m asking people to stop doing it.” Dyer mentioned some other portions of protests which he said must be considered inappropriate.
He also asked “the Pride people” to cancel the scheduled drag show. Then, he said, “I’m asking Jenny (first-year council member Jenny Bowers-Shultz) to get the drag show canceled or moved indoors.”
Bowers-Shultz, who said nothing, is a member of the Decatur Pride board.
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