An orange mesh fence went up around a grassy area in Ocean Beach Tuesday as a local leader planned to increase “enforcement efforts” in that zone -- where crowds have been gathering weekly for months despite the pandemic public health order.
The grass next to the Ocean Beach Veterans Plaza at 1900 Ocean Front and Abbott streets was roped off, and a COVID-19 city sign was placed behind the barrier reminding passersby of the current health rules.
Just before 12:30 p.m., a couple of men could be seen slashing the mesh barrier.
NBC 7 asked one of the men why he was tearing down the fence.
"Freedom," the man said. "Because we want to drum circle. We want to be free; we all want to gather together."
"Because what they're doing is, they're trying to separate us," he added. "They're trying to separate us but we're all trying to come together right now. And that's what it is."
The current San Diego County Public Health Order – just as it did when the coronavirus pandemic reached our region in mid-March – still prohibits gatherings among people who are not part of the same household.
The health order says gatherings may “exacerbate the spread of COVID-19” and bring people too close together for a prolonged period. The public health order says it’s difficult to trace exposure to COVID-19 “when large numbers of people attend a single event or are at a single location.” You can read the most current version of the San Diego County Public Health Order in full here or below.
At 1 p.m., San Diego City Councilmember Jennifer Campbell planned to host a media briefing at the plaza, alongside public health leaders, to talk about future enforcement efforts focused on that area which has been “troublesome.”
“Our office continues to field calls regarding increased crowds gathering at Veteran’s Plaza in Ocean Beach on Wednesday evenings,” Campbell said in a press release. “While I appreciate the San Diego Police Department’s increased presence last week, it’s clear more comprehensive action needs to be taken to keep San Diegans safe.”
However, after the fence was slashed, the press conference was called off. Campbell instead planned to speak with reporters one-on-one.
The gatherings at the OB park have been happening every Wednesday since June. They’re put on by a local group called Ocean Beach Drum Circle & Fire Dancing.
That was the drum circle the man who cut the fence Tuesday was referencing.
Locals are concerned because those who attend the gatherings don’t always wear face masks or practice social distancing – and the gatherings blatantly ignore the public health order.
The county said it is aware of the problem at the OB location. County leaders are in the process of forming COVID-19 compliance teams that can better enforce health order violations like this.
Over the past few months, as the pandemic wears on, the county has had trouble enforcing the health order at places like gyms and houses of worship. The gatherings near Veterans Plaza are a similar story.
The Ocean Beach Veterans Plaza was built in 1997 as a memorial to honor U.S. military veterans. A grassy area next to it is often used by beachgoers.
Campbell represents San Diego’s second district, which includes the communities of OB, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, and Point Loma, among others.
At this point, it is unclear who is going to lead the enforcement efforts around the park, and what the penalties will be if the rules are broken again.
NBC 7 spoke with a member of the drum circle group who said that if they can't gather at the OB park, they will move their weekly gathering to another area, perhaps Fiesta Island.
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August 12, 2020 at 03:13AM
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‘Enforcement' Coming at Ocean Beach Park Where Weekly Drum Circle Crowds Gather - NBC San Diego
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