By Hannah Harn
BU News Service
SEAL BEACH, CA — As demonstrations protesting stay-at-home orders pop up across the country, residents of Seal Beach, Calif., gathered at the Seal Beach pier Saturday to protest closures of beaches in the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom shut down beaches in Orange County Thursday after shores were packed with people looking to beat the heat.
Many carried American flags as well as “Don’t Tread on Me” banners. Some young protesters carried boogie boards with messages such as “Gavin Don’t Surf” and “Open the Beach – It’s my Playground.”
A young Seal Beach resident holds up a boogie board that reads “Open our beach. It’s my playground” during a protest at the end of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on May 2, 2020. Photo by Hannah Harn / BU News Service 
Seal Beach resident Stephanie Wells carries her sign high, which asks “What is the membership fee for the beach?” during a protest at the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on May 2, 2020. Wells is angry that a local country club was opened before the beaches. A young Seal Beach resident holds up a boogie board that reads “Open our beach. It’s my playground” during a protest at the end of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on May 2, 2020. Photo by Hannah Harn / BU News Service 
Protesters tote surfboards and flags at a protest at the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on May 2, 2020. Protesters are asking local government to reopen the beach. A young Seal Beach resident holds up a boogie board that reads “Open our beach. It’s my playground” during a protest at the end of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on May 2, 2020. Photo by Hannah Harn / BU News Service 
Seal Beach resident Shasta Bohler, 40, hugs her son at a protest at the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on May 2, 2020. A young Seal Beach resident holds up a boogie board that reads “Open our beach. It’s my playground” during a protest at the end of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on May 2, 2020. Photo by Hannah Harn / BU News Service 
A local nurse stands, arms crossed, as protesters push onto the sand at Seal Beach during a protest at the pier in Seal Beach, CA, on May 2, 2020. She wants the protesters to see the front line workers who are working for them as they protest.A young Seal Beach resident holds up a boogie board that reads “Open our beach. It’s my playground” during a protest at the end of the Seal Beach Pier in Seal Beach, CA, on May 2, 2020. Photo by Hannah Harn / BU News Service
The pier is right next to a police station, and local law enforcement was present to ensure safety. Sgt. Nick Nicholas, the spokesperson for the Seal Beach Police Department, said that they want people to express their views while staying safe.
While the protest remained peaceful, attendees did push past caution tape to move onto the beach. Seal Beach police followed on beach vehicles and returned demonstrators to the street. Protesters then took a walk down Main Street with flags, signs and surfboards in tow.
[…] It isn’t often that my hometown gets to take center stage in my reporting. But when I went home after my campus closed due to COVID-19, I found myself back on the beach – in the middle of a protest about beach closures. This story originally appeared on the BU News Service site. […]