Broward lifts curfew tied to George Floyd protests. Miami-Dade moves it to midnight
As South Florida sees the fifth day of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Broward County has decided to lift its mandatory curfew that was put in place to stave off possible violence after protests. Miami-Dade slid its curfew from 9 p.m. to midnight.
On Wednesday afternoon, Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry confirmed a new emergency order that ended the county curfew that was put into place Sunday. The original curfew was set to last seven days.
Although the curfew has been lifted, that does not mean that it won’t return. The order can be put back into place within an hour if the threat of civil unrest returns, said Broward County Public Communications Assistant Director Ric Barrick.
The office of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced the later curfew on Wednesday afternoon. It gave restaurants and other businesses a few hours notice that they could stay open for the rest of the night. The curfew ends each morning at 6.
While the curfew now only covers overnight hours, its large effect remains on the coast. Exercising emergency powers tied to the coronavirus crisis, Gimenez closed beaches in March. That emergency closure order was supposed to lift June 1, but Gimenez delayed the reopening after imposing the curfew Saturday night. Gimenez said this week that beaches would remain closed as long as a curfew is in effect. The statement from his office said beaches would remain closed Thursday.
Under Miami-Dade’s curfew rules, residents can walk their dog within 250 feet of their home, but cannot be on the streets or walk the sidewalks unless they are going to or from their job at an essential business.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 4:45 PM.
%20Cropped%20(2).jpg)