Miami-Dade County building managers closed all downtown Miami courthouses at 1 p.m. Friday in anticipation of demonstrations.

The evacuation notice issued by the Miami-Dade Internal Services Department affected only a small fraction of the normal courthouse traffic because they have been limited to essential and emergency operations since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The order came after Miami police recommended closing downtown businesses ahead of demonstrations scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. Friday. A department statement warned, "There may be significant interruptions to vehicular and pedestrian traffic and business operations."

Social justice demonstrators have been gathering at 3 p.m. daily at at the Torch of Friendship in Bayfront Park about five blocks from state courthouses.

WPLG-TV reported a counter protest was planned at the same park at 2 p.m. by "law-abiding citizens" supporting first responders and reopening businesses.

The park's statue of Christopher Columbus was defaced and arrests were made as police faced off with protesters earlier in the week.