Cleveland police say they have security plan for protest; barriers, metal fences stand ready – News 5 Cleveland

CLEVELAND At a moment when all eyes are on protests and marches across Northeast Ohio, Cleveland police said there is a plan it place but aren't releasing any information about what that plan includes.

The City of Cleveland also reminds demonstrators to exercise special caution due to the coronavirus pandemic by wearing masks and maintaining social distancing.

City of Cleveland

The signs of the preparations are clear along Fulton Road across the street from Cleveland Police Departments 2nd District Headquarters.

Concrete barriers are waiting on the grass with metal fencing stacked up by the station.

A business owner across the street said he was told police officers will be on his buildings roof and on the roof of the station.

Protesters plan to gather outside the station to protest the killing of Desmond Franklin.

He was killed on April 9 when an off-duty police officer opened fire on a maroon sedan in the middle of the day, near West 25th Street and Pearl Road.

Franklin, 22, was killed, and a 17-year-old who was also inside the car was injured by broken glass.

The city and police department are trying to prevent the same kind of vandalism and destruction that happened last weekend, when and originally-peaceful protest downtown was denigrated by agitators near the Justice Center and in other parts of the neighborhood.

Those were not the images Rod English remembers when he marched a few hours earlier and left the then-peaceful gathering.

I cant excuse it, but at the same time, I understand the frustration, obviously, English said.

Frustration, he said, over unequal access to education, economic success, and fairness in the American justice system.

There doesnt seem to be any active engagement at any level to address the disparities in the great wealth of this country, English said. Regardless of what the issue is, distraction of property is not the way to go.

English said he hopes the extra steps and planning by police arent needed.

Were being tested, English said. You have to decide: where do you stand on these issues?

Its a question he and his wife, Rebecca, have been tackling all week.

I think that Im very open-minded and diverse and attuned to whats happening, I still learn from this, Rebecca said.

Tough lessons at a tough time.

Ive cried quite a bit over the last week over some of this, Rebecca said. But, its good.

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Cleveland police say they have security plan for protest; barriers, metal fences stand ready - News 5 Cleveland