7 PM Curfew In DC After 'Intolerable' Protest Destruction
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mayor Muriel Bowser has ordered a 7 p.m. curfew Monday and Tuesday, following chaotic protests Sunday night that resulted in significant damage to areas of downtown Washington, D.C. Members of the media and essential workers will be exempt from the curfew.
Speaking Monday morning at the new coronavirus testing site on 5th Street NW between F and G Streets, Bowser said while she supports and applauds the American spirit of First Amendment demonstrations, destruction of the city will not be tolerated.
"We do not and will not allow the continued destruction of our hometown by people who are coming here to protest or by D.C. residents," Bowser said.
Following a day of mostly peaceful demonstrations in the nation's capital, the protests turned destructive Sunday night, as an 11 p.m. curfew was put in place. Police vehicles were vandalized, the AFL-CIO building and St. John's Church were set on fire, and multiple businesses were looted.
"We certainly empathize with the righteous cause that people are here protesting," Bowser said. "Every single American should be outraged by the murder of George Floyd. However, smashed windows and looting are becoming a bigger story than the broken systems that got us here."
Most of the destruction was focused on Lafayette Square, according to Metropolitan Police Chief Peter Newsham. There was also looting in northeast D.C., upper northwest D.C. and Georgetown.
Around 2 p.m. Sunday, a First Amendment demonstration began at Howard University with about 1,000 participants, Newsham said. The demonstrators moved toward Lafayette Park, where they attempted to breach the police barricade. Overall, Newsham said, he would describe the police interactions with protesters as minor and "easily manageable."
Protesters who became destructive Sunday night appeared to be "organized in nature," and there is an ongoing investigation into whether and how it was organized, Newsham said.
As of Monday morning, police had made 88 arrests, including 44 individuals charged with felony rioting. Other charges include burglary and curfew violation. Seven Metropolitan Police officers were injured and nine police vehicles were damaged.
"There will be a curfew tonight," Newsham said Monday. "Beginning at 7 p.m. if you are not a member of the media or you do not have an essential function, you can anticipate that local police and federal police will take you into custody. That is a warning, and I hopeful that that warning will be shared with everyone who is listening."
The curfew will also impact local businesses that were just allowed to reopen on Friday as part of D.C.'s Phase 1 of reopening. All businesses will need to adhere to the curfew, which Bowser said she thinks owners will understand.
"We know that this is an imposition on people's free movement, and nobody goes into that lightly. But we also think it's necessary for public safety," she said. "And I think that the businesses owners get it better actually than most."
Related:
17 Arrested At DC Protests, Curfew In Place Sunday, Church Fire
AFL-CIO Building, St. John's Church Set On Fire During Protests
This article originally appeared on the Washington DC Patch