Janelle Irwin Taylor
The city of Tampa is lifting its nightly curfew effective Tuesday.
The curfew went into effect Sunday night and remained in effect Monday night. No curfew will be implemented Tuesday. It had been in effect from 7:30 p.m. until 6 a.m.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor implemented the curfew Sunday after a day of peaceful protests Saturday turned to chaos as day entered the night. Problems subsided after the curfew went into effect.
Peaceful protests Saturday afternoon escalated around 6 p.m. Castor said with individuals throwing bottles, rocks and fireworks at police officers, one of whom was struck by a mortar and treated for minor burns.
Later, the protest gave way to rioting and looting in the University area where more than 60 people were arrested throughout the weekend. Some 40 businesses were burglarized or looted and five businesses were set ablaze, including two — Champs Sports and a Mobil gas station — that sustained serious damage.
Several attempts were made to set Sears Automotive on fire, but police were able to ward off attempts.
Dumpsters at an apartment complex were also set on fire.
The protests came as similar events escalated throughout the U.S. after George Floyd was killed May 25 at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer.
Floyd’s killing has sparked outrage as racial tensions boil over. The officer who placed his knee atop Floyd’s neck until he died was arrested this week, but demonstrators want justice by arresting other involved officers who were complacent in what has become an obvious case of police brutality, condemned by law enforcement officials nationwide including Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan.
“What I saw (Saturday) night was not a call for voices to be heard, ideas to affect change, or ways to shine a light on inequality,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said Sunday. “What I saw was shameful, what I saw was heartbreaking. And what I saw did not reflect our community and the values we share. We stand in solidarity with all of the peaceful protests happening in our city and around the country.”
