A week after hundreds of protesters closed I-195 and marched through downtown Miami, police were expecting a repeat performance Friday night. The police were ready with hundreds of officers standing by, but on this night, nothing materialized.
A small group, possibly a little more than a dozen people, showed up for the protests. The group met together at the meeting point of the Torch of Friendship on Biscayne Boulevard. Organizer Alex Ramos said his rally was not associated with Occupy Miami or the Dream Defenders.
Those groups successfully shut down traffic on the interstate last weekend all during the annual Art Basel event.
“We prepared a contingency plan in the case the Port of Miami, the causeways, the expressways were occupied,” said Deputy Chief Luis Cabrera. “When we prepare, we’re looking at public safety. That’s our number one concern, not dollars and cents. So as long as we can ensure the public is safe, it’s worth every penny.”
