We want to let the public know about plans to close a portion of South Florida Avenue on Sunday afternoon as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers prepares to conduct a protest march in the road between Southgate and Munn Park that afternoon. Northbound traffic will be diverted from the roadway starting around 2:00 PM on Sunday and lasting until 4:00 PM or so as the protesters make their way up the road. Southbound traffic will not be affected.
Traffic will be detoured around the group as they make their way north on South Florida Avenue. The march will go north on South Florida Avenue to Walnut Street, east on Walnut to Lake Morton Drive, and then north on Kentucky Avenue to Munn Park.
Both the Lakeland Police Department and the Florida Department of Transportation reviewed the road closure application and subsequently approved the request.
I realize some drivers will be inconvenienced with the march occurring in the roadway on a Sunday afternoon (glad it's not on a Friday evening at 5:00 PM), but we checked with our General Counsel and determined the march was a constitutionally protected event that we would have a hard time denying. Additionally, the CIW is paying the overtime expenses required for the officers and supervisors needed to safely escort the protesters from Southgate to Munn Park. On-duty resources are not expected to be used for the event.
With the exception of some noise emanating from the people participating in the march, we do not anticipate any problems along the route or at the rally/concert at Munn Park that follows.
- Asst Chief Bill LePere
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