MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – The City of Myrtle Beach responded to the lawsuit filed by the NAACP in regards to alleged unfair treatment of black tourists who specifically visit during Memorial Day weekend.
The Myrtle Beach Branch of the NAACP and three individuals filed a complaint alleging that the City of Myrtle Beach and the City of Myrtle Beach Police Department discriminate against African-American tourists.
The complaint includes a motion for preliminary injunction in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. The motion intends to stop the City of Myrtle Beach from launching the 23-mile traffic loop in the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend Bike Fest. Leaders say there is no reason to have a one-way traffic pattern on Ocean Boulevard when the majority of visitors are African-American.
The NAACP’s complaint states there are drastic differences between the two bike events held in the city in May. The lawsuit alleges that African-American bikers are treated differently during Black Bike Week, a title used by NAACP officials during the press conference, compared to the treatment of majority-White bikers during Harley Week.
The city filed its response Friday, denying every allegation that any changes made to policing or traffic during the Memorial Day weekend bike rally are racially motivated.
In addition, the city denies that the “traffic control strategy creates unreasonable delays and undue inconveniences, and increases the traffic load on affected streets.” The city’s response says the 23-mile traffic loop is used to keep vehicles moving, ease congestion, and make the holiday weekend safer.
The NAACP lawsuit claims some drivers spent more than six hours in the traffic loop and the setup blocks access to restaurants, shopping and entertainment venues. The city denies both claims.
Myrtle Beach leaders argue the traffic loop moves “traffic through the city more efficiently and made the visitors safer during Memorial Day weekend.”
While the city admits more law enforcement officers are involved in Memorial Day weekend activities, it denies that any of the officers “engage in significantly more aggressive tactics during the time alleged as ‘Black Bike Week.’” The city goes on to say that because no specific person or group officially organizes the bike week that occurs at the end of May, there is no way for city officials to know how many attendees plan to come to Myrtle Beach.
Leaders say violence is not “normal” for the city, but there has been “a general increase in gun violence and shootings in the last several years throughout the city and the United States.” The response goes on to say that violence has decreased over the holiday weekend as a direct result of the traffic loop.
The lawsuit filed by the NAACP includes a motion for preliminary injunction in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. The motion intends to stop the City of Myrtle Beach from launching the 23-mile traffic loop in the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend Bike Fest.
No schedule has been set on when a judge may rule on the motion.
