[Question] Protests continue!?

[DisneyGreek]

So my family and I are going to the parks this weekend and I was just wondering if the protestors would be there again. Have they been out front on Harbor Blvd. everyday or only on the past Saturday? I just wanted to mainly know if they were only there one day or if they have been continuously showing up? Thanks

[DisneyIPresume]

Re: Protests continue!?

According to a video I saw, they plan on protesting every weekend. Whether or not that actually happens, I have no idea.

[penguinsoda]

Re: Protests continue!?

Before we get any farther.... this is (at least) the third thread on this subject.

The first one got moved to the debate lounge.

The second one got locked.

The very FIRST sign of trouble in this thread, it will be not only locked, but moved to the graveyard.

I'm sorry for the sternness in this warning, but this is a volatile, hot button issue, and we have obviously had issues with the appropriateness of the conversation that naturally follows it.

[Wren]

Re: Protests continue!?

Hmm.

Just a quick question. Is there a Disney policy relating to Protests on its property?

I would think they wouldnt want publicity like this anywhere near their resort, especially considering the incident had nothing to do with Disney.

[chesirecat]

Re: Protests continue!?

Here's an article I found:

Anaheim police block protesters from Disneyland; 9 arrested - latimes.com

It describes protesters arrested on Harbor Boulevard, perhaps making their way to Disneyland's Habor Entrance, or perhaps already close to there.

"The protest took a dramatic turn when the crowd began marching en masse on Harbor Boulevard, saying they were headed to Disneyland."

Apparently police "corralled" them and returned them to police headquarters. This, IMHO, is how the protesters could really cause a lot of havoc at Disneyland, if hundreds show up at the Harbor Boulevard Entrance, it would be hard for pedestrians to make it across just due to the number of people.

---------- Post added 07-30-2012 at 04:51 PM ----------

Hmm.

Just a quick question. Is there a Disney policy relating to Protests on its property?

The protesters aren't on Disney's property, but rather on the sidewalk in front of the Harbor Entrance, you pass under the sign there, and IMHO, you are on the property. Of course, private property owners can ask that they keep protests of their property, even minor infractions such as the guest in WDW who dressed up as Santa and started signing autographs was banned.

I guess we're allowed to talk about the "Hitler Mickey" protest sign as it was discussed on an article today on Miceage, along with pictures.

I defend the First Amendment, but if I had school-age kids, like around eleven or so, who knew in general about World War 2, I wouldn't want them to read this sign and believe the . . . un-truths being perpetuated, that Mickey is Hitler and racist and that Disneyland controls Anaheim and the police department.

Adults will realize that the protesters just want to somehow hold accountable the police and City Hall (though there are legal actions in the works), and that by "hurting Disneyland" maybe it will also hurt the police and City Hall just because Disneyland, I would figure, is something Anaheim has to boast about.

Most guests want an escape from the everyday world, and some of the accusations leveled at Disneyland make no sense, and if I had school age kids I wouldn't want my kids to see that, in addition to the general concern over safety and the desire of hundreds of protesters to march on Disneyland.

Personally, I'd figure out a way to avoid the Harbor Boulevard entrance somehow, very hard for the families with young kids who stay in motel row along Harbor. There is a shuttle to some of the motels.

[Druggas]

Re: Protests continue!?

Hmm.

Just a quick question. Is there a Disney policy relating to Protests on its property?

I would think they wouldnt want publicity like this anywhere near their resort, especially considering the incident had nothing to do with Disney.

There is a specific plan when dealing with a possible protest.

[ShelbyH]

Re: Protests continue!?

The further we get from the incidents, the fewer people usually show up for protests. Given that the last two turnouts have been meager, and most of the protesters at this point are from outside of Anaheim, I wouldn't expect more than a token demonstration, despite their plans.

[calsig31]

Re: Protests continue!?

Hmm.

Just a quick question. Is there a Disney policy relating to Protests on its property?

I would think they wouldnt want publicity like this anywhere near their resort, especially considering the incident had nothing to do with Disney.

As long as they are on public property, protesting non-violently, and their message isn't any kind of hate speech then there is really nothing Disney can constitutionally do.

[Guest]

Re: Protests continue!?

Please Read Before Continuing

To reiterate penguinsoda, we welcome discussion on this Disneyland issue.

We however also must urge caution as we proceed. In order to keep the site safe and welcoming to everyone, and to protect our members, guest visitors and the site itself, political, racial and otherwise heated topics are not usually allowed. We are a tourism and entertainment board primarily and for that reason such topics have the potential to be very detrimental to our own online community.

My heart goes out to anyone affected by the loss of loved ones, as that should be wished on no one. However, I also support those who serve our cities and countries in order to keep us safe every day. It is up to the courts to decide who should be punished for unlawful acts, and that includes police who overstep/abuse their power, and the criminals who affect our communities through their actions. It goes without saying though that that aspect of this situation is not an issue relevant to Disney Theme Park Travel and is therefore only allowed in our designated debate lounge.

What is relevant is the effects of these protests on the resort, its operations, employees, and of course its visitors. Please feel free to discuss those topics here and remember that in this situation emotions are definitely at play so an abundance of caution and respect is urged and expected.

[chesirecat]

Re: Protests continue!?

Wow, here's another article concerning where the protesters were stopped before they got to Disneyland. They got pictures of police shutting down an intersection with the TDA building in the background (it's that area up near Toontown/the freeway, looks like one of the overpasses or something).

Anaheim Police Protests: Hundreds March Outside Police Department, 9 Arrested (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

A quote,

"the vocal group started marching toward Disneyland, but a police line stopped the group a half-mile away. The blockade, which temporarily closed several traffic intersections, caused the demonstrators to head away from the resort."

Wow, looks like a whole lot of demonstrators almost made it on to Harbor, heading down to the pedestrian entrance area off of Harbor. 1/2 a mile away from the entrance, and quite visible from TDA offices.

[Wren]

Re: Protests continue!?

There should be a level of respect towards the park and the fact that its supposed to be an "Escape from reality'

Real life issues, no matter how much attention you think it deserves; shouldn't be at the expense of those ideals. And people should respect that.

[chesirecat]

Re: Protests continue!?

The further we get from the incidents, the fewer people usually show up for protests. Given that the last two turnouts have been meager, and most of the protesters at this point are from outside of Anaheim, I wouldn't expect more than a token demonstration, despite their plans.

Looks like the protesters specifically want to garner the publicity that a major protest at Disneyland would bring them (though obviously many Disney fans worldwide would be upset that Disneyland is seemingly unfairly targeted).

There have been "flash mob" problems in other cities such as Philadelphia, where riots can be started just because somebody uses social media to direct tens of thousands of people. Conceivably, if Disneyland is a target of the protesters, then they could use Twitter/Facebook to organize and show up at DLR individually/small groups, rather than as an easily spotted wave of protesters moving down Harbor. In this case, they could probably shutdown some parts of the resort while security waits for Anaheim PD to show up.

[TodAZ1]

Re: Protests continue!?

I think the protestors just want publicity. And what better way to do that than to line up in front of one of the most visited places in the world?

[chesirecat]

Re: Protests continue!?

Getting back to the heart of the issue for a lot of folks on this site, will the protests or prospects of long term protests change how the resort is run? Here's some changes I think might be in store for the general:

1. Some Harbor motels provide shuttles to Disneyland, but maybe not all of them, given the close proximity to Disneyland. Maybe this change, and/or the motels will hire off-duty policeman for the area.

2. The often clogged crosswalk at Harbor. Disneyland castmembers use this crosswalk and it is often clogged with guests, maybe Disney will consider building a large (but asthetically pleasing) bridge over the roadway which would allow pedestrians to avoid traffic, and the protesters, and would perhaps move around the areas where the protesters such that guests have more room. I know that the protesters (some of them) lined up against the Cypress tree walls in this area, but the area is *very* clogged a lot of the time, I am sure guests were obstructed from walking to the resort, this is wrong, IMHO.

3. More reservations at Grand Californian Hotel/Disneyland Hotel. Not sure of the occupancy rates, but these hotels are well inside the property, hence far away from protesters, and people planning vacations might want to book more at these places than motel strip.

4. Security station. If there are going to be long term protests at Harbor, then maybe Disney should put up a security booth in the area to ward off a dangerous situation should it arise.

[DisneyGreek]

Re: Protests continue!?

I agree completely with the administrators of Micechat. I just started this thread to know whether the protestors planned to be there again or if it was a one time thing. I do not want this thread to get into off topic issues (off topic from the question) surrounding the events the protestors are protesting. Thanks

[sdjeff4sc]

Re: Protests continue!?

"2. The often clogged crosswalk at Harbor. Disneyland castmembers use this crosswalk and it is often clogged with guests, maybe Disney will consider building a large (but asthetically pleasing) bridge over the roadway which would allow pedestrians to avoid traffic, and the protesters, and would perhaps move around the areas where the protesters such that guests have more room. I know that the protesters (some of them) lined up against the Cypress tree walls in this area, but the area is *very* clogged a lot of the time, I am sure guests were obstructed from walking to the resort, this is wrong, IMHO."

I've often thought about the idea of the bridge/underpass across Harbor in relation to the DLR Master Plan - how they get guests from the Pumba Lot (structure) once Disney buys Gardenwalk and closes Toy Story for the construction of the eventual 3rd gate.

Many people have suggested a PM, for cost-effectiveness, I thought Disney would just use the trams they currently use from M&F to the Esplanade. Question for me was whether the trams can effectively tow their train either up a grade for a bridge over Harbor, or down a grade for a tunnel under Harbor....... either way, I was hoping Disney could get the rights to use the ground-level of the current right-of-way where the power lines run along Disney Way. Disney could fence this area off and landscape it and thus shield their customers (keeping them "on-property") from the moment they enter Pumba to when they arrive in the Esplanade, just like they do w/ M&F currently.......

This wouldn't do anything to help the areas "Good Neighbor" hotels or the sidewalk traffic along Harbor, but it would shield arrivals at Pumba from any of that, protests, panhandlers, flyer-hander-outers, etc......

[ShelbyH]

Re: Protests continue!?

Looks like the protesters specifically want to garner the publicity that a major protest at Disneyland would bring them (though obviously many Disney fans worldwide would be upset that Disneyland is seemingly unfairly targeted).

There have been "flash mob" problems in other cities such as Philadelphia, where riots can be started just because somebody uses social media to direct tens of thousands of people. Conceivably, if Disneyland is a target of the protesters, then they could use Twitter/Facebook to organize and show up at DLR individually/small groups, rather than as an easily spotted wave of protesters moving down Harbor. In this case, they could probably shutdown some parts of the resort while security waits for Anaheim PD to show up.

Both the Anaheim PD and Disneyland monitor Twitter and Facebook too. Disney in particular is hyper-aware of anything going on in and around the resort. I wouldn't be terribly worried about unexpected flash mob-type activity. Both Disney and the APD put a lot of effort into keeping the area safe including keeping themselves informed, particularly when they know who the groups are who are doing the organizing.

Also, this isn't DLR's first experience with recent protests. There were several protesters and paid picketers from the hotel worker's union for quite a while, and nothing got out of control there. And that was actually a DLR-related dispute.

Again, I don't think these protests are as bad as the media is making them seem, based on my own observations, and I really think that resort guests have nothing to fear. I really do hope that nobody changes their vacation plans because of this.

[BasilofBakerStreet]

Re: Protests continue!?

One thing that I worry about is if there are too many protesters that it makes it difficult to cross the street because they are taking up too much space. I remember there was a protest here in Pasadena and the protesters where on a corner. Their signs where blocking the cross walk signal and some thought it was okay to cross...which it turned out it wasn't. The once on the other side there was no room on the sidewalk and we had to push our way through so we weren't standing in the street.

Having a bridge would be an excellent idea and safer, hopefully Disney plan this in the future. I know I would go outside the park more often, but its so cozy once your inside

[chesirecat]

Re: Protests continue!?

Again, I don't think these protests are as bad as the media is making them seem, based on my own observations, and I really think that resort guests have nothing to fear. I really do hope that nobody changes their vacation plans because of this.

Like you said, I read an article which describes that the groups behind the protests are not, for the most, local Anaheim groups. A partial list:

1. Occupy groups
2. Anonymous
3. Socialist organizations
4. Kelly’s Army (inspired by death of homeless man in Fullerton CA, father of victim wants protests to stop incidentally)
5. Anaheim Cruzaders (don't know who they are)

The police said that the large Harbor group was split up and diverted away from Disneyland in part to protect the freeway. No doubt this chapter in Disneyland history will be covered in books yet to be written.

Plus, its not just the Anaheim PD, per the article below, "Several police departments aided Anaheim, including Santa Ana, Cypress, Buena Park, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and possibly others. Officers said that they could not disclose how many departments were involved."

Meaning that if the protestors keep it up, Anaheim will lose a lot of money paying for overtime for police from other cities.

I think that a lot of families would be foolish not to reconsider vacation plans. Definitely, there is an increased risk of bodily harm around Disneyland, at least for the next week, plus, do you really want to spend part of your vacation plotting your way around protesters, instead of escaping the real world?

Anaheim Police Block Protest March to Disneyland - Voice of OC | Orange County's Nonprofit Investigative News Agency: This Just In: anaheim, police shootings, protests, riot, disneyland

---------- Post added 07-30-2012 at 10:02 PM ----------

One thing that I worry about is if there are too many protesters that it makes it difficult to cross the street because they are taking up too much space.
I know I would go outside the park more often, but its so cozy once your inside

The corner where they are protesting is arguably one of the busiest in the world as sometimes you've got 80+ people trying to cross, with more pouring out of Disneyland all the time. Having even a dozen protesters milling around this area would significantly obstruct pedestrian flow as the area is often packed, i.e. having a line to wait in just to cross the street.

Paradoxically, the protests may help Disney earn more in months to come as guests decide to stay "where it is safest" on property, at the eateries in Downtown Disney and at Disney hotels. The businesses surrounding DLR will probably hurt the most. This is assuming the protests don't stop guests from going to DLR in significant numbers.

[Mac Daddy]

Re: Protests continue!?

Meaning that if the protestors keep it up, Anaheim will lose a lot of money paying for overtime for police from other cities.

I think that a lot of families would be foolish not to reconsider vacation plans. Definitely, there is an increased risk of bodily harm around Disneyland, at least for the next week, plus, do you really want to spend part of your vacation plotting your way around protesters, instead of escaping the real world?

You might want to hedge that bet a little bit as last weekend only about 6 protestors showed up on Saturday, and Sunday's group was blocked before it got near the resort. If you parked in Mickey and Friends and walked into the resort, as I did twice, you would never know anything was amiss. If you've already invested quite a chunk of $$$ in hotel fees and park hoppers in advance of your trip, I wouldn't cancel. I can't promise anything, but i HIGHLY doubt there would be any noticeable trouble this weekend once you are on property, and you'll PROBABLY be fine if you are staying at one of the area motels. This is just based off of the last two weeks.