CURFEW: Here’s why it was just canceled

The citywide curfew is now canceled. Here’s the announcement just in from the mayor’s office:

After meeting with community leaders today, Mayor Jenny A. Durkan and Chief Carmen Best announced that the citywide curfew will end effective immediately. The curfew was originally recommended by the Seattle Police Department as a way to aid in crowd control and preserve public safety after violence on Saturday. However, the Mayor and Chief chose to rescind the curfew following feedback from community leaders and protestors who wanted to ensure no peaceful individuals who were demonstrating were arrested. The Seattle Police Department did not make a single arrest for violation of the curfew.

“These last few days have been deeply trying, and have caused a level of sadness, anger, and frustration from the community that makes crystal clear: At the City, we can work together to make changes,” said Mayor Durkan. “On Saturday, we first implemented the curfew as a tool to help the Seattle Police Department disperse peaceful crowds, keep vulnerable people in their homes, and preserve public health and safety. However, community leaders made it clear that wanted to ensure peaceful demonstrations could still occur and ensure there was no disruption for our workers, and small business owners. Throughout the day, we have seen peaceful demonstrations, and Chief Best believes we can balance public safety and ensure peaceful protests can continue without a curfew. Effective immediately, the curfew is no longer in effect in the City of Seattle. For those who are demonstrating, please keep making your voices heard peacefully.”

The City of Seattle will send a notice of the terminated curfew via Alert Seattle, which sends notifications directly to residents’ mobile phones. The City encourages all residents to sign up for Alert Seattle to receive notifications directly to their mobile device.

14 Replies to "CURFEW: Here's why it was just canceled"

  • TreeHouse June 3, 2020 (9:06 pm)

    Maybe it’s my privilege or my social bubble, but I have been deeply hurt (on top of everything else) to see the way Seattle Police Department has treated peaceful protestors and the lack of leadership by Mayor Durkan to hold SPD accountable. I have always supported SPD but feel their credibility and reputation has been badly damaged this past week. I knew this hyper aggressive policing occurred in other parts of the country but probably didn’t want to believe that happened in our beautiful progressive city. I think it’s also just a sad realization of what black people have to deal with every day of their lives. We’ve got to do better.

  • Commuter513 June 3, 2020 (9:41 pm)

    Pepper spraying a child ain’t a good look. After that debacle, I’m surprised they aren’t doing more. But I’m glad the Mayor has lifted the curfew. Having it in place just gave cops something to “clear out” people for, even if they were peaceful. Lots of protests became dangerous once cops began to forcibly clear folks out – even when curfew wasn’t in effect yet. 

    • Jo June 3, 2020 (10:36 pm)

      The motion to remove federal oversight on the police force has also been rescinded. But ultimately, I don’t know if Durkan is responsible for that, and right now she, Best and the SPD aren’t looking good.

    • jtg June 5, 2020 (7:19 am)

      You don’t honestly believe they pepper sprayed a child do you? That is ludicrous and not what happened.

  • ally cat June 3, 2020 (10:11 pm)

  • new52 June 3, 2020 (10:44 pm)

    The Seattle Police need to be reformed and we have to accept that a certain percentage of the police force needs to leave. They have a fraternal silence and disregard for human life that is pretty shockingly evident from their reactions from the protest. I also think Durkan should resign effective immediately. Not once have I heard her office discuss concrete measures to reform the police and improve its standing with the community. We need a major who improves our community not one that stands by for 5+ days of protest and offers nothing. I’m expecting the Seattle city employee troll members such as WSJ to jump in and attack me threatening the jobs of their fellow city employees. 

    • zark00 June 4, 2020 (3:44 pm)

      Agree, SPD needs reforming, Durkan has not been impressive at all to say the least, but you left out Sawant – she needs to be removed immediately.

  • Admiral June 3, 2020 (10:55 pm)

    Maybe this shooting would not have happened had it not been lifted???

    • hj June 3, 2020 (11:47 pm)

      Because people who shoot other people would respect a curfew?

    • AMD June 4, 2020 (7:28 am)

      The stabbing on Sunday happened during a curfew, so I would say your speculation is unwarranted.

  • Bradley June 3, 2020 (11:43 pm)

    A symbolic curfew was symbolically lifted?

  • Nachobeaver June 4, 2020 (12:00 am)

    A curfew that know one abided by?? Or was not enforced?? So what’s the point?? Might as well just drop it right?? Just another wasted idea by our wonderful politicians 

  • DRG June 4, 2020 (2:06 am)

    Watching a number of streams of the protest downtown tonight, things (at least as of 2 am, when I’m writing this) seem calmer tonight. I think lifting the curfew was an important factor in that. The protesters aren’t going to obey the curfew anyway (and I fully support them in that). It makes people feel like they’re being silenced, and trying to enforce a curfew with people who are otherwise peacefully protesting is just another opportunity for things to go sideways. Right now it’s looking like removing the curfew was the right move.

  • WTF June 4, 2020 (3:02 am)

    This conversation should have taken place within a couple of days, if not hours, of Mr Floyd’s murder. The fact it took this long for city (leadership) to open that dialogue is sad.Always keep these folks at the table…they have a lot to say and a lot to teach.

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