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A Message from Mayor Papenfuse on Potential Protests in Harrisburg
“I am well aware of the concerns that many Harrisburg residents have over what may transpire this weekend or next week regarding potential protests in Harrisburg.
I want to stress that we are prepared for whatever comes our way. Over the past week there has been an enormous effort on all levels, state, federal, county, and city to coordinate and prepare for whatever response is needed. We are going to have hundreds of police mobilized which includes the Capitol police, the State Police, obviously Harrisburg Police, police from surrounding municipalities and even the PA National Guard.
I know there are a lot of specific questions on what may come our way but while I cannot get into some of those specific operational details, what I can say is that there will be some limited street closures. The Capitol Complex will be closed this Sunday starting at 10 am, and that includes Commonwealth Avenue between Walnut and Forster St and streets behind it. The City will be closing 3rd St. in front of the Capitol and the 200 block of State St. Those are the only street closures that are planned at this time, but we have the ability to close additional streets as necessary and we will be monitoring the situation very carefully.
Expect to see strong police presence throughout Harrisburg and don’t be surprised if you see our police officers along with uniformed PA National Guards. And at this point, we are going to see how things are going to transpire over the weekend before making a decision on Monday about further preparations for Wednesday. There might be additional street closures for Wednesday. We may recommend certain closures for buildings in downtown, including City Hall.
I think it is possible to be optimistic, while also being prepared for whatever comes our way. The Capitol will be defended, Harrisburg will be protected, and we will make it through this challenging time together.”
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