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Coronavirus: Sand dumped at Pittsburgh City Hall after skate park filled

PITTSBURGH — Sand was dumped in a revolving door at Pittsburgh City Hall on Thursday night, hours after a local skate park was filled in to keep people away.

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Police said they were investigating the incident at the Grant Street entrance to the City-County Building downtown. Police would not say, however, whether it was connected to the skate park, according to TribLive.com.

According to Public Works Director Mike Gable, the West Penn Skate Park in Polish Hill had been chained shut because large crowds of kids were gathering there during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the park was chained, Gable said people started climbing over the fence and even cutting the locks to get in.

“We have been forced to do this because people are just not listening. They are determined, so we have to take extra measures," he said.

This is an extension of the decision to close city parks and playgrounds in March and April, and blocking off playground equipment, tennis and basketball courts, Gable told WPXI.

>> Coronavirus: City fills skatepark with 37 tons of sand to deter skaters

Gable said city officials saw the same measures being taken in California and decided to follow that state’s lead.

Someone posted on Craiglist about free sand at the Polish Hill skate park, writing “Can be used for sandboxes, gardening, or to stage a reenactment of Raising Arizona.”