Officials in California have resorted to filling skateparks with loads of sand to stop kids from skateboarding during the pandemic — all in the name of public health.

Days ago, a popular skatepark in San Clemente was filled with 37 thousand tons of sand to discourage skaters and “promote social distancing,” Los Angeles CBS reported.

“San Clemente had shut down all its parks and facilities on April 1 under the state’s stay-at-home orders, but skaters ignored signs warning against trespassing at the Ralphs Skate Court, 241 Avenida La Pata,” the report said. “Since park facilities have been closed city officials say they routinely saw people visit the skatepark, even by some children accompanied with their parents, according to the San Clemente Times. City officials told the newspaper they followed in the footsteps of other cities, and filled the skatepark with 37 tons of sand.”

Authorities never notified the nonprofit group that raised money to support the skatepark about the sand dumping.

Skaters kept ignoring the “no trespassing” signs at a Southern California skate park, so city officials dumped 37 tons of sand into it. #CBSLA #WBZ https://t.co/gLAAbK5I3a pic.twitter.com/wZrq9t2mPn — Nick Emmons WBZ (@NickEmmonsTV) April 17, 2020

Officials manning a skatepark in Venice Beach followed suit, again, all in the name of public health.

“By Friday afternoon, the ramps and bowls at the park located at 1800 Ocean Front Walk were buried beneath enough sand to make them unrideable,” KTLA reported. “All parks, beaches, bike paths and trails in Los Angeles County are closed until at least May 15 to support social distancing under the county’s Safer at Home order.”

“At Venice Beach, all parking lots, bathrooms, piers and beach access points are also shuttered, along with the boardwalk and Ocean Front Walk. There is some access in the area to essential businesses,” the report added.

WATCH:

Venice Skate Park vs LA COVID Social Distancing pic.twitter.com/x5vMEa0O8C — HUNTER WE!SS (@Hunter_Weiss) April 18, 2020

Politicos were quick to sound off on the actions taken by California officials, especially since kids are at a particularly low risk of contracting COVID and it’s possible to social distance while skateboarding.

“Clearly, the greatest public- heath threat imaginable…a kid on a skateboard. Young people, remember, this is what Big-government statist Democrats do—they take away your freedom,” Senator Ted Cruz posted online. “And to all the Lefties defending California’s idiocy, skating alone poses ZERO public health threat to anybody. You want to enforce social distancing in public spaces, fine, but filling a skate park with sand—so nobody can use it—is authoritarian abuse of power.”

2/2 And to all the Lefties defending California’s idiocy, skating alone poses ZERO public health threat to anybody. You want to enforce social distancing in public spaces, fine, but filling a skate park with sand—so nobody can use it—is authoritarian abuse of power. — Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 19, 2020

Conservative radio host Buck Sexton sounded off, “Some us have been warning about inevitable government overreach and abuse of power all along. Now we have city officials not just shutting down parks- idiotic in itself- but actually going the extra mile to make them unusable for all.”

“This is not about safety from a virus,” he added.

Some us have been warning about inevitable government overreach and abuse of power all along. Now we have city officials not just shutting down parks- idiotic in itself- but actually going the extra mile to make them unusable for all. This is not about safety from a virus⬇️ https://t.co/PcJZhAhtNt — Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) April 18, 2020

“Yeah, great idea. Obviously we don’t want the kids outside, in the sun, in the fresh air. We want them inside having prolonged indoor contact with their older family members,” wrote The Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh.

Yeah, great idea. Obviously we don't want the kids outside, in the sun, in the fresh air. We want them inside having prolonged indoor contact with their older family members. https://t.co/7UEuwF4ixp — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) April 19, 2020

“This is some petty, tyrannical bullshit right here,” prominent First Amendment lawyer Harmeet K. Dhillon summed up.

This is some petty, tyrannical bullshit right here. https://t.co/flHEUV3ZMj — Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) April 18, 2020

“Supereme Chairman Garcetti of the LA Communist Party has things well in hand,” Justin Hart mocked.

Supereme Chairman Garcetti of the LA Communist Party has things well in hand. https://t.co/MnQz66QGIQ — Justin Hart (@justin_hart) April 18, 2020

Related: Top COVID-19 Model Significantly Lowers U.S. Death Toll Estimate — Again