Mass Protests Have Forced Some Cities to Repeal Anti-Protester Curfews
After brutal police violence failed to stop huge protests against the murder of George Floyd, governments across the country imposed curfews in an attempt to curtail dissent. But protesters have defied the restrictions in mass numbers — and in some cities, forced elected leaders to repeal the curfews.
Demonstrators hold up their arms during a protest sparked by the police murder of George Floyd, on May 29, 2020 in Oakland, California. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
The May 25 murder by police of George Floyd sparked a wave of massive protests, beginning in Minneapolis and quickly spreading across the United States (and now the world). The police responded to the protests with more shocking violence, amounting to what is clearly a police riot. The brutality has been terrifying to watch. But incredibly, protesters have not been deterred. If anything, the brutal police response has seemed to provoke further revolt.
To stem the conflict, over the past weekend elected officials across the country began imposing curfews. For example, Chicago enacted a 9 PM curfew on May 30, San Francisco put an 8 PM curfew into effect on May 31, and New York City imposed an 8 PM curfew on June 2.
Elected officials have presented the curfews as attempts to maintain public safety. In reality, the ordinances are attacks on free speech, which criminalize peaceful demonstrations and justify further police violence against protesters and the public. Thankfully, the curfews have not had their intended effect.
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