Police planning for 'curfew breakers' protest at Huntington Beach pier
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - Huntington Beach police say they are aware of a planned demonstration Saturday night against the state's coronavirus-related curfew.
The protest is expected to take place at the city's pier.
"We are aware. I believe our command staff is putting together a plan to address that,'' a communications operator with the Huntington Beach Police Department told City News Service on Saturday.
The curfew applies to counties in the purple tier of California's four-tier coronavirus monitoring system. Orange County and Los Angeles County are in the purple tier. It prohibits all "non-essential work, movement and gatherings'' between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., beginning Saturday night and continuing until the morning of Dec. 21.
According to an online post, the "curfew breakers'' protest/rally was being planned for at 10:01 p.m. Saturday at the Huntington Beach Pier, in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom's statewide curfew scheduled to begin at 10 p.m.
RELATED: Newsom imposes curfew on most of California as COVID-19 cases surge
It was unclear who was organizing the demonstration. A flier posted with the tweet said: "If you are a free American and are more than non essential join us for a clear act of defiance against Newsoms 10 pm stay at home order.''
The Orange County Sheriff's Department, and other sheriff's departments throughout California, have said they will not enforce the order.