Tompkins County committee debates public statement on protests, considers red/yellow/green guidance

The Tompkins County Public Safety Committee on March 25 debated whether the county legislature should issue a public statement about protests, with members saying they support the right to protest while also wanting to clarify that illegal tactics such as roadblocks and vandalism are unacceptable.

A member of the public, Zach Wynne, told the committee that recent local drug arrests and other events made clear “the city's color coded guidelines are a poor substitute for a clear condemnation of illegal behavior by the county,” and urged the county to “ask the public who wishes to protest to abandon the tactics of roadblocks and vandalism.”

Committee members responded with a range of views that nonetheless clustered around two themes: protect the right to dissent, and make explicit limits where protest tactics endanger others. Legislator Shawna said, “I continue to think that it should be everyone's right to go to the streets and protest,” but added she drew the line at vandalism and actions that harm others. Sheriff representatives and county staff described a de‑escalation approach that has been used locally and credited law enforcement with keeping protests relatively peaceful compared with incidents elsewhere.

Legislator Maury said the city’s red/yellow/green guidance — a one‑page continuum that lists permissible actions (green), monitored activities (yellow) and actions that will prompt arrests (red) — should be circulated to the committee as a starting point. Maury described the sheet’s categories: picketing that does not block access is in the green zone; blocking streets or sidewalks in a way that causes inconvenience but no danger is in yellow; and “forcibly blocking streets, sidewalks, or access to public facilities, or private businesses” is red and may prompt arrests to restore public safety.

Several legislators said they would prefer the county statement, if issued, to mirror that balance — explicitly supporting peaceful protest while setting expectations about safety and unlawful conduct. The sheriff’s office said it has adopted a policy mirroring the city’s crowd‑management approach and typically plays a supporting role to the Ithaca Police Department when protests occur in the city.

The committee agreed it would be useful to circulate the city document for review and that Chair Rich would prepare a draft statement for the next meeting. The proposal to craft a county statement drew no formal vote at this meeting; members asked staff to circulate the city guidance and to bring a draft back for discussion.

The discussion included direct appeals to avoid escalation: Lance (county staff) urged caution about enforcement tactics that might escalate protests rather than calm them, and other members repeatedly emphasized both civil liberties and public safety.

The committee did not adopt a formal county statement at the March 25 meeting but asked staff to circulate the city’s red/yellow/green guidance and agreed to consider a draft at a future meeting.