Ryan Nicol
Broward County officials are lifting a 9 p.m. curfew instituted in response to protests after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Officials established a week-long curfew Sunday night, which ran from 9 p.m.-6 a.m. Wednesday afternoon, County Administrator Bertha Henry cut the directive short after just three days.
In Miami-Dade County, a 9 p.m. curfew will now start at midnight, beginning Wednesday.
Protests have occurred throughout the nation in response to Floyd’s death at the hands of four police officers. As of Wednesday afternoon, all four are facing charges over the incident.
The protests reached Fort Lauderdale Sunday, prompting the Broward County curfew.
Though tension and violence did not escalate to the level seen in Miami-Dade County, there was some combativeness between police and protesters. Fort Lauderdale Police Officer Steven Pohorence was suspended after shoving a woman while she knelt on the ground.
While officials are pulling back on the curfew, County Commissioner Michael Udine said it could still be reinstated should the need arise.
Protests against Floyd’s killing have been largely peaceful. Several protests throughout the country, however, have been hijacked at various points by rioters.
Police, too, have pushed back. A Sarasota Police officer was placed on leave after putting his knee on a protester while taking him into custody. Several journalists have also been improperly targeted.
The violence began erupting late last week, before large protests had been organized in South Florida.
Saturday night, protests in Miami-Dade turned ugly with stores being looted and fires being set. That Saturday mayhem saw dozens of people being arrested.
Miami-Dade instituted a curfew as well. That curfew has delayed the county’s beach reopening, which had been scheduled for Monday, June 1.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giménez says those beach restrictions will remain in place despite the shortened curfew.
“Effective tonight, I have moved the curfew time to midnight for Miami-Dade County,” Giménez said Wednesday.
“Beaches will remain closed for tomorrow. Keep in mind that curfew time may change again if street conditions change.”
The nationwide protests have been a recent focal point in the 2020 presidential campaign. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis was even pushed to activate the National Guard to help bring calm to the streets.
