Police declared an unlawful assembly near the Huntington Beach Pier as counter-protestors met those demonstrating against George Floyd’s in-custody death, and a crowd blocked traffic on the Pacific Coast Highway Sunday afternoon.
“It started to become a little more aggressive where people were yelling at each other and doing a lot of verbal arguing, at the same time, they started to block traffic on PCH,” Huntington Beach Police Officer Angela Bennet said.
That’s when police declared the assembly unlawful and moved to disperse the crowd on the highway and near the pier. Bennet said there have been arrests for non-compliance but no further details were available.
Hundreds could be seen gathered near the pier, where a people stood holding signs saying “End Racism” and “Black Lives Matter,” video posted online showed.
As the crowd grew, a small group met the protestors as they demonstrated peacefully. Some held American flags and used megaphones to yell at the protestors.
Chants of “racists go home” can be heard from the protestors as the counter-protestors yelled back, video shows.
Bennet said there hasn’t been violence reported among the protestors.
On Main Street earlier, business owners and volunteers were seen boarding up stores as protests throughout Southern California were followed by other groups sweeping in and looting businesses.
PCH remained closed from Goldenwest Street to Beach Boulevard as of 3 p.m.
No further details immediately available.
