Hundreds of protestors descended on the Loop on Saturday, joining a string of national demonstrations organized in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police. While the protest began peacefully, reports of armed protesters clashing with police, a fire set in a police vehicle and theft from businesses prompted Mayor Lori Lightfoot to announce a 9pm curfew, effective this evening and running until 6am tomorrow morning. According to the mayor, the curfew will remain in effect until further notice.
"I applaud the vast majority of the individuals who came here to make true and lasting change peacefully. But to the rest of you, I'm here to call you out for your recklessness and for your obscene disrespect to the righteous cause you are trying to hijack," Lightfoot said.
The curfew will likely predominantly be enforced downtown, where many protesters are still on the streets after gathering at Federal Plaza earlier today, and then moving north to Trump Tower and Michigan Avenue. At one point this evening, all of the bridges that line the Chicago River in the Loop were raised to control the number of people moving north, though The Triibe reports that the LaSalle Bridge has been lowered to allow protestors to leave the area.
According to Lightfoot, the curfew will be enforced in an effort to clear out the downtown area, with protesters subject to arrest if they do not leave. She noted that essential workers will be exempt from the curfew. It is unclear if the curfew will be enforced in neighborhoods throughout the city.
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