SLO announces street closures, safety measures for Saturday’s Women’s March
More than 4,000 people are expected to participate in the Women’s March in San Luis Obispo this weekend, the fourth annual event held in the city.
The event begins at 10 a.m. Saturday with several street closures in effect.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department “will be in place Saturday ... and is committed to another safe and peaceful event,” San Luis Obispo Police Chief Deanna Cantrell said in a news release. “We’re asking for the public’s help to ensure everyone’s rights are respected.”
Downtown SLO streets will close for event
According to the city, Osos and Pismo streets immediately surrounding Mitchell Park will closed effectively 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., but could be opened as soon as the march ends.
The following streets will be closed to parking, with tow-away zones from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.:
▪ Higuera Street from Santa Rosa Street to Broad Street,
▪ Marsh Street from Santa Rosa Street to Broad Street,
▪ Morro, Chorro, Garden and Broad streets between Higuera Street and Marsh Street,
▪ Osos Street from Monterey Street to Buchon Street,
▪ Pismo Street between Santa Rosa Street and Osos Street, and
▪ Buchon Street between Santa Rosa Street and Osos Street,
Higuera, Marsh and Broad streets will remain open for vehicle and pedestrian traffic only, with no parking on the roads above, until the 15 minutes before the march begins, according to San Luis Obispo officials.
The full march route closure is estimated to begin around 10:45 a.m.
“The city is committed to opening streets as soon as it is safe to do so,” city officials said. “The public should plan on using Nipomo, Palm, and Santa Rosa as primary detours around the event.”
San Luis Obispo also has worked with event organizers to make sure “certain amenities are in place such as portable toilets, a lost-child station at the event’s information table, and medical support services such as EMT crews,” the city said.
The city also has assigned additional police officers to patrol duty, and lined up stand-by help from other area public safety agencies.
Women’s March is in advance of 2020 election
The inaugural Women’s March drew thousands of participants in San Luis Obispo in January 2017 after the election of President Donald Trump. This year’s event anticipates the hotly contested 2020 election.
The 2020 Women’s March is features the title “The Time Is Now.”
“We are heading into a historic election year that will decide the direction of our country,” said Andrea Chmelik, Women’s March San Luis Obispo lead and communications director, in a statement. “When we first marched in 2017, our goal was to send a strong message to the administration that we are united in our fight for equal rights and civil liberties.
“Our message in 2020 is that the time is now to rise up. The time is now to save our democracy and protect our planet, before it’s too late. The time is now to be bold, brave and loud.”
%20Cropped.jpg)