BRADENTON, Fla. (WFLA) – Hundreds of people are expected to crowd into downtown Bradenton on Monday evening to protest near a Confederate statue.
City officials don’t want a repeat of what happened in Charlottesville, so they’re taking extra precautions.
The obelisk, dedicated in 1924 by the Daughters of the Confederacy, commemorates leaders of the Confederacy and the “memory of our Confederate soldiers.”
Some want it to stay, others want it to go. On Monday evening, around 300 people from opposing groups are expected to protest.
“I started thinking about the what ifs,” said Manatee County Clerk of Courts’ Angel Colonneso.
Colonneso decided to shut down her office early.
“We got about 265 employees and for law enforcement’s sake, I think it makes it easier for them to get the employees out of the building. You have to prepare for the worse, hope for the best,” said Colonneso.
Across the street at Council’s, the burger joint has been there nearly as long as the statue. It’s a popular hangout for locals and politicians, and the secret is the grill used to cook the meat.
“This is from 1926. It’s 91 years old. It’s been seasoned with burgers every day, six days a week, for all those years,” said Council’s manager Joshua Sheehan.
Out of concern, the restaurant decided to close early on Monday as well.
“I’m not gonna argue with it. I’d rather come in here and have a place to open tomorrow instead of burnt rubble,” said Sheehan.
Organizers of Monday’s protest stress it will be a peaceful rally and disrupters will not be tolerated.
Locals feel it’s important to be cautious, but there’s no cause for alarm.
“Bradenton is not the most exciting town. It’s a great community, so we gotta have all this excitement down here. It’s sort of funny, I think,” said longtime Bradenton resident Eddie Mulock.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bradenton Police Department have ramped up patrols for the event.
On Friday, Manatee County commissioners ordered the statue to be covered with plywood out of concern for the protests.
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