City of San Luis Obispo is aware of a potential protest in the Downtown at 5:00 pm at Mission Plaza. City of San Luis Obispo Police Department leadership, in coordination with many community and Cal Poly leaders have been in, or tried to be, in communication with Students for Quality Education (SQE), the organizers of today’s protest. We appreciate the statement released by R.A.C.E. Matters SLO and Young Black Leadership strongly discouraging attendance at today’s protest. The SQE flyer specifically welcomes a “diversity of tactics” and is therefore not a commitment to be an exclusively non-violent protest. Please consider avoiding the area and be aware of potential traffic delays.
Our community supports peaceful protests and the expression of free speech. Police leadership is committed to working with protest organizers to hold peaceful events protecting protestors and the community at large. Please refer to the ACLU guidelines regarding protest rights and responsibilities, including those of law enforcement here: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights/#im-attending-a-protest.