Judge orders removal of seals from La Jolla Children’s Pool
From SignOnSanDiego.com, written by Craig Gustafson, Friday, July 20, 2009
SAN DIEGO – The Children’s Pool beach in La Jolla will likely attract hundreds of activists, police and onlookers this week if the city follows through on a judge’s order to begin removing seals by Thursday morning.
SAN DIEGO – The Children’s Pool beach in La Jolla will likely attract hundreds of activists, police and onlookers this week if the city follows through on a judge’s order to begin removing seals by Thursday morning.
The cove is a familiar site for standoffs between animal lovers who support the seal squatters and local residents who feel the beach belongs to children.
But past scuffles – which have included fisticuffs, urination, spittle, pepper spray and a stun gun – could pale in comparison to the round of friction caused if seals are forced to leave.
“It’s going to be absolute chaos,” said J. Daniel Romero, a Mission Valley businessman who used to operate a retail shop down the street from the cove. “I’m not an activist, but this outrages me. I’ve been sitting on the sidelines watching this unfold, and it’s just not right.”
As always in the long-running seal debate, courts may intervene yet again in response to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s signature yesterday on legislation that would give the San Diego City Council final say over the fate of Children’s Pool.
The council leans in favor of letting the seals stay at the pool, but the city drafted a $689,000 dispersal plan under court order.
A contractor would carry a portable public-address system that will emit barking dog noises to scare off the seals. Police would stand by to protect the contractor and ensure activists on both sides behave themselves.
To read more, click the following link: http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jul/20/bn20seals-judge-order/
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