The District of Columbia will enforce a curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday and Tuesday nights following a night of protests and fires in the city, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced.
It will mark the second and third consecutive nights of curfew. Late Sunday night, the District enacted an 11 p.m. curfew as some demonstrations near the White House turned violent.
Protesters in the District and in cities around the country have demonstrated following the death of a black man, George Floyd, in police custody in Minneapolis last week.
“As I said this weekend, we certainly empathize with the righteous cause that people are here protesting,” Miss 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.”
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Peter Newsham said the police made 88 arrests Sunday and are continuing to make arrests. Two-thirds of the arrests were for felonious charges, including 44 charged with felony rioting.
Seven MPD officers sustained minor injuries but did not need hospital care, Mr. Newsham said. He said tactics used by “antagonists” Sunday appeared to be “organized in nature.”
The chief warned that local and federal police will take curfew violators into custody.
“This is an inconvenient decision for many of the people who live here and work here in the District of Columbia,” Mr. Newsham said. “This will disrupt your lives. This was a decision that was forced upon us by the behavior of the people who are intent on coming to our city and destroying property and hurting people.”
Miss Bowser said the curfews will not affect voting in Tuesday’s local elections, and credentialed media are essential workers and exempt.
