Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s deputies were called to the scene last Friday by management at the shopping center. Point Dume Village property manager Kathryn Natalia said deputies were called to deal with concerns over traffic control.
“We just didn’t want any traffic issues,” Natalia said. “People were backing up onto Heathercliff [Road], and that’s a safety issue.”
Deputies took Councilman Skylar Peak aside and spoke to him for several minutes. After speaking with deputies, Peak asked the crowd to stay out of the parking lot and off of the road during the protest.
There were conflicting reports as to why sheriffs chose to speak with Peak. Sgt. Tony Arnold of the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff ’s Station, who responded to the scene first, said initially that he was also called to stop a particular “person from being aggressive.”
A security guard who works at Point Dume Village said Peak picked up and threw traffic cones and also blocked parking lot traffic with his truck.
Arnold said he wanted to make sure Peak and other marchers did not throw cones. Peak seemed to be leading protesters in chanting and marching, so deputies chose to talk to him in private and have him relay safety concerns to the rest of the group, according to Arnold.
“They just wanted to make sure of general public safety,” Peak said.
Email the author at melissa@malibutimes.com