Hemming Park protesters will take new safety precautions on Saturday

Protest organizers are taking new safety precautions a week after a protest in Hemming Park turned violent.

Hundreds of people are expected to converge on Hemming Park on Saturday for a march calling on President Donald Trump to release all of his tax returns.

“Trump Tax March on Jacksonville” organizer John Aloszka said the protest has a city permit to have its speakers on the main stage in Hemming Park.

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Aloszka said he and his fellow protest organizers hope that will keep counter-protesters from getting too close and interrupting those speakers.

A week ago, multiple protesters were arrested at a Hemming Park protest against the president's airstrike in Syria.

Many blame counter-protester Gary Snow for inciting violence, something Snow has denied to Action News Jax.

“We’re expecting over 500 people tomorrow. So a group of 5-10 counter-protesters is really going to have a hard time derailing something of that size,” Aloszka said.

Aloszka said they plan to have people designated to monitor the crowd and stage.

“We are going to have peacekeepers who will be spread out throughout the crowd, wearing a specific color shirt. We’re not going to release the color of that shirt until tomorrow just for safety purposes,” Aloszka said.

He said organizers on Friday night are making new signs for the march.

“They’ll just essentially say, you know, 'If you get arrested, don’t resist.' If you think it’s an unjust arrest, it’s easier to fight it later on if you don’t hit a cop or anything like that,” Aloszka said. “For a protest to be effective, you really have to keep it peaceful.”

Video from last Friday’s Hemming Park protest appears to show several of the arrested protesters hitting or grabbing officers, or flailing while being arrested.

“Video memorializes your conduct, good and bad. And if you’re on video hitting a law enforcement officer, it’s a big problem,” Action News Jax law and safety expert Dale Carson said.

Carson, who authored a book called "Arrest-Proof Yourself," said you can take steps to prevent yourself from getting arrested if you’re at a protest that suddenly turns violent.

“I think you just stand back. Don’t do anything. And stay away from areas of concentrated violence,” Carson said.

Aloszka said remaining peaceful is the only way to make sure Saturday’s march will stay on-message.

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“Otherwise, the media narrative changes. How people view your group changes,” Aloszka said. “We’re not going to let the counter-protesters and the people that would rather us just sit home and do nothing win.”

Action News Jax asked the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office if officers plan to use any new strategies at Saturday’s march.

Spokesperson Lauri Ellen-Smith sent a statement that reads in part:

“The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has no tactical information regarding operations at protests to share publicly. Those who engage with groups planning to exercise their right to peaceably assemble will not only have their rights protected but will also be given clear instructions by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on site at the event. Each of these events is unique, and has its own operational plan that will be put into effect by the JSO.”