Traffic snarls this weekend

Local drivers should avoid Highway 20 this weekend, and boaters should steer clear of Padilla and Fidalgo bays, as county officials are expecting long delays and congestion with thousands of protestors expected to converge on March’s Point.

“Break Free PNW” has organized a three-day event centered on the refineries on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Besides the protest against fossil fuels by a gazillion kayakers, other groups are expected to join in.

On Saturday the official protest schedule includes an Indigenous Day of Action, aimed at protecting the environment. Saturday’s event will feature Native American canoes joining the kayaks, and a protest march near the refineries followed by a salmon barbecue and ending with an 8:30 p.m. evening luminary salmon procession in Anacortes.

Fire District 13 Chief Roy Horn told his board recently that several other groups that routinely show up at events promoting civil disobedience are also expected to participate.

Seattle deals with large scale demonstrations fairly often.

But, “This is an event of unprecedented size for our area,” said Mark Anderson, Skagit County Department of Emergency Management director, in a release from the agency.

“Our top priority is ensuring that everyone in the March’s Point area remains safe during the weekend. To that end, visitors and residents can expect to see a higher-than-normal concentration of law enforcement and first responders in the area.”

The multi agency response is being coordinated by the county’s Emergency Management Department and includes the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, Anacortes Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, FBI and firefighters from throughout the county.

Cory Ertel, spokesman for the Shell Puget Sound Refinery at March’s Point, said in a prepared statement, “Shell acknowledges the right of everyone to peacefully demonstrate and express their point of view.”

He added that the refinery expects protests to be “within the boundaries of the law.”

However, the Break Free PNW website calls for civil disobedience and warns participants that they could be arrested.

The website also seeks donations for bail money.