Mayor of Encinitas responds to ‘Freedom Rally’ participants who protested the shutdown orders

SAN DIEGO (KUSI)  – Sunday in Encinitas, a group of about 200 people marched along South Coast Highway 101 to protest the closure of beaches, parks and trails in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Freedom Rally, promoted by Free Encinitas, a public Facebook group, began at 10 a.m. in front of Swamis Seaside Park and headed south until about noon, when the protest disbanded, according to San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officials.

Deputies kept watch to make sure marchers were practicing safe distancing measures, and no citations were issued, officials said.

The group carried U.S. flags and signs of protest against state and local stay-at-home orders. Some of the signs read “Surfing is not a crime” and “This is punishment not protection.”

The group stopped at Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear’s house, with some carrying signs that said “Recall Blakespear.”

“To me it was really disappointing,”said Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear Tuesday on Good Morning San Diego.