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Thousands Of Protestors Crowded Huntington Beach On Friday
More than a thousand protestors crowded downtown Huntington Beach on Friday to rally against state-ordered beach closures and California's stay-at-home policies.
On Thursday California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered local officials to shut down all beaches in Orange County to contain the spread of the coronavirus, triggering protests and threats of lawsuits from officials in Huntington Beach and Dana Point.
Both cities wanted an immediate, temporary restraining order against the closures. But state Superior Court Judge Nathan Scott allowed the order to stand.
Friday was quite a scene. So many demonstrators crowded together, that police on horseback had to block people from standing on the beach side of the street. It was loud, with lots of passing motorists limited to a single traffic lane, revving their engines and honking their horns.
Today in Huntington Beach... https://t.co/wCc7TIo6WS
— LAist (@LAist) May 2, 2020
Only about half the people present were wearing face masks, and most showed little concern for keeping physical distance from others.
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