MIAMI – Employees at PortMiami were advised to leave early Friday in anticipation of a planned protest scheduled for the early evening, but there were more police than protesters when it was all said and done.
Miami-Dade police said employers were warned about the planned protest and asked to dismiss all non-essential employees by 4 p.m. so they don't become stuck at the port.
PROTEST PLANS
6:30 p.m., Torch of Friendship, Friday. Click here to see the Facebook invite >>
10 a.m., Freedom Tower, Saturday
2 p.m., Torch of Friendship, Sunday
A group spearheaded by the social media movement #ShutItDown and #Feguson2Miami planned to protest at the port in opposition to the recent decisions not to pursue criminal charges against police officers responsible for the deaths of Eric Garner in New York City and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
Last Friday, a large group of protesters gathered in downtown Miami for the same cause, blocking traffic on Interstate 195.
"We were preparing for approximately 300 demonstrators," Deputy Chief Luis Cabrera told Local 10 News.
Instead, police were met by a little more than a dozen protesters.
Miami police had 70 officers on patrol -- 35 of them working overtime -- expecting a larger turnout based on social media posts.
That number doesn't include Miami-Dade police and the Florida Highway Patrol.
Police estimate spending more than $15,000 in overtime costs.
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