On a recent morning in Fairfield, a peaceful protest at Travis Air Force Base led to the arrest and citation of twelve individuals. The Fairfield Police Department had been forewarned about the demonstration planned by a group known to organize "human blockade" protests. Before the event, officers contacted the demonstrators to balance exercising First Amendment rights with maintaining access to the base and nearby medical facilities.
About 30 protesters congregated at Parker Road and Airbase Parkway, ignoring the officers who had delineated the limits of lawful protest. They positioned themselves squarely in the crosswalk, obstructing traffic despite the green light signal that indicated their obligation to give way. Fairfield Police, as noted in a statement, then issued orders for the subjects to vacate the roadway, which was ultimately disregarded by twelve individuals.
The arrests blocked traffic for ten minutes but concluded without further incident. It was reported that no injuries occurred during the protest and that officers did not resort to the use of force. Each detained protester was released after being cited and now faces a pending court date next month.
