Anti-Trump protesters march through Richmond for 2nd night
RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - Hundreds of protesters marched from Monroe Park through downtown Richmond for the second straight night on Thursday to express their anger with Donald Trump's election as the next president of the United States.
Richmond police were prepared for the possibility of more protests and have trained to keep the protests from escalating.
The Richmond Police Department has a Crowd Management Team which is currently staffed, equipped, and trained to handle events where large groups of people gather, including protests.
Charlie Schmidt with the ACLU of Virginia commended the RPD on how they handled Wednesday night's protest. He was monitoring the event for legal observation.
"De-escalation is very important. Sometimes that means letting protesters march until they're tired," said Schmidt.
More protests are possible this weekend, which will be busy with a number of other downtown events.
The Richmond Coliseum is hosting the Garth Brooks concerts this week and says it has a security plan in place while working closely with local law enforcement for each event.
The Richmond Marathon will shut down streets this weekend and organizers say, "for all event operations we have a unified command team composed of local public safety agencies that we work closely with throughout the planning process and on event day, with constant and thorough evaluation of resources. The safety and security of participants and spectators is always our top priority."
This weekend also kicks off VCU's homecoming celebrations. VCU police are working in conjunction with local and state law enforcement agencies.
"We monitor rallies and protests at the university and will respond accordingly. Officers patrol both campuses 24/7 with the focus of keeping students, faculty, staff and guests safe," said Corey Byers, the public information officer for the VCU Police Department.
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