The Anaheim protests continued for the ninth consecutive day, as residents and activists voiced their anger over two recent police shootings.
Over the weekend, Anaheim police set up a barrier about half a mile from Disneyland’s main entrance to keep the demonstrations from spilling over into the resort area.
Aside from the increased police presence, the Anaheim protests have not had a significant impact on most visitors’ vacations. The demonstrations have been peaceful, for the most part, with only a few scattered arrests. On Tuesday, there was some violence as the demonstrators smashed storefronts and showed other minor signs of violence. But this activity took place about 15 minutes north of Disneyland and never impacted the resort area.
On Saturday, Anaheim police set up a barricade just north of Disneyland which stopped the demonstrators from crossing the 5 Freeway bridge and entering the Disneyland Resort area. Anaheim police said the barrier was created to prevent the protesters from throwing debris over the side of the bridge and onto the freeway. But the barrier did keep the protests from impacting visitors who were walking from their hotels to the Disneyland main entrance.
Outside of the resort area, there is a greater visible presence of Anaheim police in riot gear. Within the resort area, most tourists will just see a small army of Anaheim police on horseback. Anaheim police always have a strong presence within the Disneyland Resort area, as keeping visitors safe is a priority for the city.
If you are left wondering if you should postpone your trip because of the protests, we can confidently say that is not necessary. Anaheim Police have kept the demonstrations under control and Disneyland itself has an immense security force in place. Some of the labor union protests in the past have had a greater impact on the Disneyland Resort than the protests that have been taking place in recent days.
Images courtesy of the Orange County Register
