P.R. Laws tit. 25, § 1184

2019-02-20 00:00:00+00
§ 1184. Interagency Committee—Authorities and responsibilities

In the discharge of the functions commissioned in this chapter, the said Committee shall have the following authorities:

(a) To implement the standards and criteria outlined in this chapter so as to enable the coordination of public impact activities in an orderly and reasonable manner, within the constitutional and legal framework in effect.

(b) To create mechanisms to gauge the effect of public impact activities on the economy, health, safety, and stability or general peace of the population.

(c) To provide that during peak morning hours on weekdays, to be understood to be from 6 to 9 AM Monday through Friday, no events, demonstrations or public impact activities may be initiated or conducted on the main public thoroughfares, as defined in § 1182(b) of this title. To that effect, it is hereby provided that as part of said obligation, during those morning hours, no person or group shall take position, stop or place themselves, nor shall anyone stop, park or leave any vehicle, whether with or without occupants, or any animate or inanimate object or material, or animal or device of any kind, on traffic lanes, acceleration or deceleration lanes, bridges, entrance or exit ramps, or emergency lanes, when a public impact activity is to be held on any main thoroughfare as identified in § 1182(b) of this title. It is provided, further, that when demonstrations are being carried out on the Baldorioty de Castro Expressway within the hours established in this subsection, only one lane must be used for these purposes.

(d) Immediately after having received the notice of intent to hold the activity in question, the Committee shall undertake efforts to coordinate with the participating groups or persons to adopt cautionary and security measures in order for the demonstration to take place on a public thoroughfare to be held within the legal framework of this chapter and to be conducted in an orderly, efficient and reasonable manner.

(e) The Committee shall also coordinate efforts as needed with the agencies concerned in order to identify alternate thoroughfares, to contemplate special measures to tend to medical or social emergencies, to have Puerto Rico Police officers properly deployed, and to allow for a reasonably continuous flow of vehicles.

(f) An empirical base of official data shall be established in coordination with the Highway and Transportation Authority, so as to allow for the identification of alternate thoroughfares that could be used to canalize vehicles and people while the activity is being held, as well as alternate routes in order for citizens to always have spaces in which to exercise their freedom of speech.

(g) Public impact activities held under this chapter are to have the support of the Commonwealth in terms of available medical assistance and police security for demonstrators and of providing reasonable conditions in order for said activities not to be impeded, for which purposes, special measures shall be adopted.

(h) The necessary conditions shall be created in order to prevent demonstrations from being unnecessarily or unreasonably obstructed by nonparticipating groups or persons or by the very public official with the duty to implement this chapter.

(i) Guidelines and parameters shall be established in order to afford a certain rate of mobility to vehicles, persons and groups not participating in a public impact activity.

History —Sept. 16, 2004, No. 366, § 6.