US cities lift curfews, promise police reforms following peaceful George Floyd protests
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New York City and Chicago lifted curfews on Sunday, following a weekend of protests against racism and police brutality. The move came as several city governments are seeking to defuse tensions and have responded to protesters’ demands by promising reform.
“I made the decision to end the curfew. And honestly, I hope it’s the last time we will ever need a curfew in New York City,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
Peaceful protests continued in New York City on Sunday with thousands of demonstrators marching through Manhattan chanting “Black Lives Matter” and “George Floyd,” whose death sparked the protest movement.
Floyd, an unarmed black man in handcuffs, died May 25 after a white officer pressed his knee into his neck, ignoring his “I can’t breathe” cries and holding it there even after Floyd stopped moving. His death sparked protests that spread around the world.
A person holds a sign in protest near the US Capitol, where there has been a week of protests over the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody, in Washington, DC, USA. EPA-EFE/SARAH SILBIGER
The curfew was New York’s first in decades and by Friday, it had drawn criticism from local leaders and activists, who said it caused needless confrontation between protesters and police.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot also lifted the city’s curfew on Sunday and announced the reopening of downtown train stations, in addition to resuming full bus services. The city had been off-limits and under curfew since May 30.
Chicago and New York followed the lead of other major cities like Los Angeles, Atlanta and Washington, DC., which ended curfews on Saturday, ahead of the weekend’s planned protests, as an overture to protesters, betting that the decision would make the demonstrations more peaceful.
Activists and protesters have rallied behind calls to “defund the police,” a criticism of what they see as a pattern of pouring more resources on police departments than on other city services, including housing and education.
