England District Board to consider requiring permits for protests
The England Economic and Industrial Development District (EEIDD) in Alexandria, Louisiana, is set to introduce a resolution on July 23 to establish a permitting process for protests on its property. This move follows recent demonstrations targeting projects within the district, including Applied Digital's Delta Forge 1 data center. The proposed regulations aim to define the Authority’s policy on public demonstrations and grant the Executive Director authority to deny permits under specific, limited conditions.
The England Economic and Industrial Development District (EEIDD) in Alexandria, Louisiana, is slated to consider a new resolution on July 23 that would mandate permits for protests on District-owned or controlled property. The proposed measure comes in response to recent public demonstrations concerning two significant projects within the Authority's purview.
One of the projects, Applied Digital’s Delta Forge 1 data center, has become a contentious issue in the region since its announcement, with a protest recently organized near its construction site. Another project, the Alexandria Staging Facility (an ICE detention center), also drew protests following a 2025 New York Times investigation.
The resolution, if approved, would append a new chapter to the EEIDD Code of Ordinances and Policies, detailing the Authority's stance on public demonstrations. It outlines specific regulations for obtaining a protest permit and grants the Executive Director limited authority to deny applications, primarily for safety reasons, though explicitly forbids denials based on the content or viewpoint of the proposed protest.