D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser imposed a two-day curfew Monday in the wake of unruly activities over the weekend stemming from protests over the Memorial Day death of George Floyd.
The curfew starts Monday at 7 p.m. and will end Tuesday at 6 a.m. and the process will repeat itself Tuesday until early Wednesday morning.
“We have had significant damage in our downtown areas,” Bowser said, referring to looting, arson and vandalism that occurred in the District on Saturday and Sunday. “We applaud the spirit of American protest but we don’t want the destruction of the city.”
Bowser imposed a citywide curfew Sunday that started at 11 p.m. and lasted until Monday at 6 a.m.
D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham said the decision to institute another curfew had been made methodically.
“This is not a decision that we made lightly,” Newsham said. “We will realize this is inconvenient for everyone but this decision was forced upon us.”
Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis who died on May 25 when a white police officer pinned him to the pavement with a knee on his neck.
The incident, which was captured by an onlooker in a viral video, has sparked outrage and protests nationwide, some of which have resulted in violence.
Derek Chauvin, the fired officer in the video with his knee on Floyd’s neck, was arrested Friday and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. The other three officers involved in the incident were also fired, and authorities said they could face charges as well.
