A crowd estimated at 400 people gathered in front of the Huntington Beach pier to protest the first night of a statewide curfew aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19, authorities said Sunday.
The people gathered at 10 p.m. Saturday along Pacific Coast Highway at Main Street, crossing the highway when allowed by the traffic light, said Huntington Beach police Lt. Ryan Reilly. By 11:30 p.m., the crowd appeared about half that size, said Reilly, who was watching the gathering via surveillance cameras.
The group was law-abiding “for the most part,” he said. One person was arrested for public intoxication. “Some, not all” wore face masks. It appeared the vehicles passing through the area were part of the demonstration and the same vehicles were seen moving north and south on PCH, Reilly said.
Officers were there watching the activity but no illegal assembly was declared, he said. It appeared from the surveillance cameras that downtown businesses shut down at or before 10 p.m., Reilly said. The department was not planning to issue citations for curfew violations, he said. “We are seeking compliance and trying to educate people.”
