HOLLYWOOD, Fla. ā Law enforcement agencies across South Florida beefed up their presence at Jewish schools and houses of worship ahead of planned pro-Palestinian demonstrations Friday.
Officials said there are no credible threats, but the tighter security measures are being fueled by social media chatter.
Miami-Dade school board officials referenced security worries at their most recent meeting.
āOur school police is prepared,ā Superintendent Jose Dotres said.
As the Israeli war escalates and a Hamas leader called for a āGlobal Day of Jihad,ā Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called for heightened levels of security all over the county.
āWhile our public safety teams are not responding to any individual threats in our area, we are partially activating the Miami-Dade Emergency Operations Center out of an abundance of caution,ā she said in a statement, in part. āMDPD will have an increased presence around schools, synagogues, mosques and Jewish Community Centers.ā
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In Broward, school officials say they too are on alert but have not identified any credible threats.
āWeāve been working with local law enforcement, all the intelligence communities and monitoring it closely. Weāve dispatched a lot of our staff and security staff to make sure theyāre in schools today,ā Broward Superintendent Peter Licata said Friday. āWe recognize that every child walking through has got to be safe every single day and some days are just a little more important than others. And today, with whatās going on, we decided we were going to be extra, extra safe today and monitor the situation.ā
On Friday morning, the assistant principal of a Jewish school in Hollywood told Local 10 News they have extra security and fewer students in attendance.
Michelle Larea is one parent who chose to send her child to school Friday.
āThe way that I feel is that we canāt live in fear. Both my husband and I have a lot of family living in Israel and thank God, theyāre OK,ā Larea said. āInstilling fear in our children is not a way of living. They need to know that weāre Jewish and weāre proud of being Jewish and weāre here for a reason. They need to be able to go to school and feel safe going to school. Thank God we have amazing support.ā
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Broward Sheriffās Office said, āWe are closely monitoring the situation for any local public safety concerns. We are in contact with members of our local religious organizations and our local, state and federal highest priority.ā
A pro-Palestinian demonstration is planned for 4:30 p.m. at downtown Miamiās Bayfront Park.
Local 10 News spoke with a local Palestinian-American, who condemned the Hamas attacks on Israel, but also said that killing innocent Palestinians isnāt the answer.
āNeither side should be killed,ā Anas Amireh said. āNeither side should die.ā