The director of the New Orleans Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness office is asking protestors who’ve been on the streets for a week now, to take the next few days off.
Collin Arnold, talking about Tropical Storm Cristobal, made the request while speaking with WWL First News.
“While it’s important that people voice their opinion in a public forum when they need to, they need to put their safety first today, tonight and tomorrow,” Arnold said. “There’ll be time afterwards. But for now this is about your safety and this is a tropical storm.”
The city has already curtailed public transit and trash pickup, and allowed residents to use the neutral zone for parking as part of emergency measures.
They’re asking rally organizers to use common sense and call off protests for the next few days.
“This is just beginning, If this is a book, it’s the first couple chapters,” Arnold advises. “We need to continue to shelter in place, stay at home, you made your preparations on Friday and Saturday and now it’s time to hunker down.”
Arnold says people should be at home for the rest of today, tonight and into tomorrow.