Black Lives Matter is planning a protest in Minden, Saturday morning it will hold the event from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in front of the Douglas County Judicial Law Enforcement Center. There are also plans for pro-law enforcement protesters to attend.
"We do plan to have the Black Lives Matter protesting here as well as the counter protesters, so the information that we've been getting is that we will have both of those groups here at the Judicial Law Enforcement Building," Melissa Blosser, Public Information Officer for Douglas County said.
Minden Distillery Owner Addresses Rumors Surrounding ProtestsÂ
The protests come after a statement from Sheriff Dan Coverley, last month. In a letter addressed to the Douglas County Library he said "please do not feel the need to call 911 for help." The letter was a response to a planned statement by the library supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
The county started setting up the area for protests, Wednesday. Concrete barriers block access to Water Street in front of the building. The parking lot on the north side of the building will also be blocked off. Both areas are set aside as free speech zones.
"That's not intended to say that that's where people have to be," Blosser said. "It's just a space that we have allocated and basically moved out vehicles, those things away so that people can spread out and have a safe place to exercise their First Amendment right."
Blosser says public safety is the top priority for Douglas County. It is bringing in more resources including law enforcement to help keep the peace.
"We've had a lot of staff and public resources that have come in to move things around and make sure that the area is safe for everyone to attend," Blosser said.
Douglas County and the sheriff's office have been in contact with a number of regional groups, preparing for Saturday's protests. They encourage people to speak their minds but keep the peace.
"We're really asking that everybody remain civil," Blosser said. "We can expect that there may be some difference in opinions but we are confident that we can have a safe day and that everybody follows the law, that there won't be any problems."Â
Residents say they feel comfortable with the protests, knowing that the county is preparing for them and that it has a plan in place.
"I drove by yesterday," Greg Startin, Minden resident said. "It looks like they're prepared with the concrete barriers. It looks like it's set up pretty well."
"I think it will be pretty safe," Marilyn Startin, Minden resident said. They're doing a good job with barricades and no parking areas and the whole map of the protests."
"I think that's good preparation to prevent possible violence and I think everybody here is going to stand together," Bill Isaacs, Minden resident said. "It's no nonsense, no violence."
"We all hope that it's peaceful and I think people from Douglas and Smith Valley are just coming to support law enforcement," Constance Kretchmer, Smith Valley resident said.
Blosser is reminding people to prepare for the heat. The temperature is expected to be in the 90s, so people should drink plenty of water and dress accordingly.
For a link for frequently asked questions, follow this link:Â
