Santa Rosa police prepared to block traffic for districtwide walkouts, protest

Santa Rosa police are prepared to block traffic for the anticipated school walkouts Wednesday afternoon and protest Wednesday night, during which students will be advocating for improved campus safety.

Students at a number of schools countywide are expected to stage walkouts at varying times early afternoon Wednesday.

High School and middle school students from multiple Santa Rosa schools, including Montgomery High School, Santa Rosa High School, Herbert Slater Middle School, Credo High School and Maria Carrillo High School, are scheduled to participate.

Police will not be stationed at schools but officers will be on standby to provide help with traffic if students march off school campuses, said Sgt. Chris Mahurin, a police spokesperson.

The department “won’t have any other involvement” outside of preventing possible issues with approaching vehicles, Mahurin said over text messages.

Community members and students are scheduled to meet a second time for a protest about 4:45 p.m. in Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse Square.

Demonstrators are planning on having a moment of silence, listening to speakers and then marching to Santa Rosa City Council Chambers, where the Santa Rosa City Schools board will meet at 6 p.m.

Santa Rosa police officers will be providing security and blocking traffic as students and community members walk to the meeting, Mahurin said.

He said some students from different schools reached out to Santa Rosa Police Chief John Cregan to tell him about the demonstration.

You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter is madi.smals.