City of Dubuque explains why garbage trucks blocked protesters at Trump rally

REAL DUBUQUE NEWS (RDN) DUBUQUE, Iowa - The City of Dubuque issued a statement Monday explaining why solid waste collection vehicles lined Locust Street outside President Donald Trump's rally at the Five Flags Center on Sunday. The city says the United States Secret Service declared the 400 block of Locust Street a restricted zone over safety concerns, and a group of protesters would not move from the area. Rather than make mass arrests or clear the area by force, the city says it decided after discussion with the Secret Service to place a row of large vehicles in the street to protect the presidential motorcade. All of the city's other large Public Works trucks were already deployed at intersections for traffic control or reserved for emergency operations, so solid waste collection vehicles were used. The Secret Service then declared the 300 block of Locust Street a restricted zone as well, so both blocks were lined with the vehicles. The city says the Secret Service was adamant the vehicles needed to shield the motorcade route, and that it was advised the 100 and 200 blocks of Locust Street would be left open for protesters, provided they stayed out of the street. The city says the vehicles were parked and it had no additional requests from the Secret Service to move the crowd, nor were any additional blocks declared protected areas.