After a video was posted of the Laramie Police Department (LPD) informing protesters about marching on the sidewalks as opposed to roads, a few participants have demonstrated frustration concerning the enforcement of the city ordinance preventing an individual from disrupting the flow of traffic.
On June 25, Assistant Chief Robert Terry of the LPD addressed protesters informing them to remain on the sidewalks as opposed to the streets to comply with city ordinance 9.12.130 (D). Sarah Diane Ewing, a protestor, recorded this video and posted it on her Facebook page later that night.
“If you’re in the street we’re gonna tell you to get off onto the sidewalk,” said Terry in the video. “If you don’t do that we’re gonna write you citations. If you don’t comply with the citations, we’ll take you to jail. It’s that simple.”
The LPD Chief Dale Stalder and Command Staff, which includes Terry, decided that an in-person announcement must be made to the protesters concerning staying on the sidewalks since they had not obtained a permit to impede traffic, said LPD Lieutenant Gwendolyn Smith. The LPD had been in contact with the protesters since the protests started asking them to do so, but after weeks of them not complying, the LPD took action.
Ewing said the protesters march in the streets for a few reasons. First, it is easier to social distance in the street than on the sidewalks. Also, she said that the point of a protest is to cause disruption in order to bring attention to what specifically is being protested. For Ewing, she said, she is protesting police brutality and the LPD blocks traffic more than the marches.
“Marchers have never blocked traffic in both directions other than the brief times we occupied portions of intersections for 8 minutes and 45 seconds, the length of time that Derek Chauvin had his knee on George Floyd’s neck, which probably happened less than five times total,” said Ewing. “In making a blockade to detain marchers, the police blocked traffic more than we ever have.”
Also recorded in the video are questions from the protesters as to why coal rollers, which are diesel trucks or vehicles that produce excessive smoke out of their exhausts, are not given citations for excessive smoke.
Terry said there is a city ordinance against excessive smoke. A woman asked if the city would enforce that ordinance during the protest on June 25. Terry said, “Maybe.”
Ewing said in the video, “Cuz [sic] you don’t cite your friends who are white supremacists.”
There have not been any citations issued for excessive smoke as of July 1, 2020.
The protesters have complained of coal rollers and trucks disrupting their marches via driving too closely, blowing gas out of their exhausts, and riding in the bed with President Donald Trump flags and carrying assault weapons.
“Mostly they drive as close as they can get to us in order to blow exhaust fumes in our faces, which is a public health risk during a respiratory pandemic and had aggravated the chronic health problems of some marchers,” said Ewing.
Overall there have been eight citations: two for vandalism, one for a vehicle impeding traffic, one for amplified noise and four for pedestrians impeding traffic. There were also seven individuals arrested for impeding traffic.
Smith said it is not illegal to ride in the bed of trucks, unless sitting on the wheels through Laramie and it is not illegal to carry assault weapons.
“The priority for the Officers during the protests has been the safety of the protesters while they continued walking in the lanes of travel on Grand Avenue which is a higher priority than stopping vehicles producing excessive smoke,” said Smith.
