By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Police are investigating a Thursday protest at a Tucson law office connected to Project Blue, the proposed data center planned near the Pima County Fairgrounds.
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The protest happened at Lazarus & Silvyn, a law firm involved with Beale Industries, which is leading data center projects that include Project Blue and one in Marana.
The firm said a group of masked protesters entered the building and caused a disturbance while delivering a letter demanding the firm cut ties with Beale.
Video from inside the office shows about 20 protesters wearing masks and sunglasses chanting in crowded hallways. In the video, protesters can be heard raising concerns about water use, including the chant, “We will not allow our groundwater to be depleted.”
The law firm claims employees were physically threatened. The Tucson Police Department said officers responded to the call, but no arrests were made.
Pima County Supervisor Matt Heinz, who voted to approve the land sale that helped move Project Blue forward, said the protesters crossed a line.
“You can’t be threatening and intimidating people in their workplaces,” Heinz said. He added that tactics like intimidation can undermine a cause regardless of the issue being protested.
Tucson City Councilmember Nikki Lee, who voted against Project Blue, also criticized the incident in a statement:
“Yesterday, a Tucson small family business that has served and contributed to our community for more than 30 years was the target of trespassing, intimidation tactics, and threats. Incidents like this impact not only business owners but also the employees and families connected to them. Thank you to the Tucson Police Department for their swift response.
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As a community, we are going to have passionate disagreements about important issues. Advocacy, protest, and public engagement are all part of a healthy democracy. But intimidation, threats, or confronting people at their workplace or home in ways that make them feel unsafe crosses a line and is not acceptable.
I know personally what it feels like to have people come to your home over a public issue. I experienced that myself while nine months pregnant, and no one should be put in a position where they feel threatened or intimidated because of civic disagreement. Regardless of the issue at hand, we must reject tactics rooted in fear and intimidation. Tucson is better than this. We can disagree strongly while still respecting each other’s humanity and using the proper public forums to make our voices heard.
My thoughts are with the employees, staff, and family members affected by this incident. No one should feel unsafe while simply trying to do their job, support their family, or contribute to our community. We must continue working toward a culture where people can engage passionately on issues while still treating one another with dignity and respect.“
In a statement, Lazarus & Silvyn said it supports peaceful protest but described the incident as unacceptable:
“Yesterday, more than 20 masked individuals arrived at our offices in opposition to data centers and physically threatened and harassed our employees. The safety of our staff is our highest priority, and we condemn this action in the strongest terms. We are a family-owned business whose families have been working, living, raising children, and contributing to this region for over 30 years. We believe in the right to peaceful protest. Yesterday crossed the line. No cause, however sincerely held, justifies intimidating legal professionals and their staff at their place of work. The rule of law is not a negotiable concept. We do not believe this reflects who Tucson is as a community. We are grateful to the Tucson Police Department for their swift response and continued support. Lazarus & Silvyn remains fully committed to our work, our clients, and engaging with this community in a manner that all sides can be proud of.”
Project Blue is expected to be fully operational by 2028.
We reached out to Stand Up, Fight Back Tucson, one of the organizations taking credit for the protest. The group has not responded to 13 News’ request for comment, but said in a social media post that its protesters were physically assaulted by an employee in the office.
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