A small group of people protested from their cars outside Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson’s West Anchorage home Tuesday night, the Mayor’s office confirmed.
A video of the protest shows about a dozen people honking horns, flashing lights and shouting out of car windows as they drove. Participants appeared to be protesting the public health measures imposed by Quinn-Davidson to limit the spread of COVID-19, like temporary closures of bars and restaurants to in-person service. Some of those restrictions will be eased beginning New Years Day.
Similar protests are a regular occurrence at Assembly meetings outside the Loussac Library, but demonstrations of any kind at politicians’ homes are rare.
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Tuesday’s video showed some of Quinn-Davidson’s neighbors stood on the street, trying to talk to protesters or block their cars. Later, the video shows a similar protest from cars outside Downtown Assemblyman Chris Constant’s house.
Quinn-Davidson’s wife, Stephanie, wrote in a Facebook post that protesters had crossed a line by coming to their home.
The Anchorage Police Department said it was in contact with protest organizers to ensure public safety, but no arrests were made. Carolyn Hall, spokeswoman for the acting mayor, said Quinn-Davidson fully supports the public’s right to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights.
A similar incident happened over the summer to former mayor Ethan Berkowitz, with a few people who arrived outside his house and shouted slurs, Hall said.
Kavitha George is Alaska Public Media’s climate change reporter. Reach her at kgeorge@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Kavitha here.
