Miami Beach officials have extended an evening clock and state of emergency until April in response to large crowds of partygoers celebrating in the area’s bars and beaches during the spring break, despite the coronavirus.
The crowd of young people vacationing in Miami Beach led to a crackdown on police, which included the use of ‘peppercorns’ shot in the crowds.
Miami Beach City Commissioners said they are extending a curfew from Thursday to Sunday between 8pm and 6pm until April 12.
Police say they arrested more than 1,000 people – about twice as many as they did last year – during this spring season. According to the local CBS subsidiary, the curfew is necessary to maintain order.
City Manager Raul Aguila told the news station that he believes visitors traveled to Miami Beach “to keep themselves busy with lawlessness and a party attitude”. Aguila claims that many visitors do not protest local businesses or spend tourism dollars during their time in Florida.
The Miami Herald reported that police have used peppercorns to disperse the crowd several times this season, describing the tactic as’ balls being shot on the ground and emitting tear gas, forcing people to move to some degree to avoid eye irritation ‘. .
Miami Beach police officer Richard Clements told the newspaper that officers fired the projectiles as the crowd began to swing up toward officers.
“I think officers felt threatened at the time,” he said, adding that at least five officers were injured during the spring break this year. Video of large crowds and tear gas by police in the city circulated online.
Police’s response to the large crowd during the spring break has drawn criticism from some black leaders, noting that many of the thousands of tourists who have flocked to the city are people of color.
DeAnne Connolly Graham, of Miami Beach’s advisory committee on black affairs, said racial undertones existed in the social media posts of local leaders who referred to black tourists as ‘thugs’ or ‘animals’.
Stephen Hunter Johnson, chairman of the advisory group, called the reactions of officials “performative” and evidence of “unnecessary violence”. He said tourists and locals were only given a few hours notice before the curfew went into effect over the weekend.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber told WPLG TV station the city does not focus on “behavior” a specific group of people.
According to the Herald, Miami Beach approved a $ 2 million increase in police presence and an advertising campaign ahead of the spring break that warned rioting tourists would be arrested.
In light of the introduction of the curfew, forcing local restaurants to stay out of service during the emergency period, CBS said officials had a difficult time balancing the desire to boost the tourism economy with the public health management in the pandemic.
Florida has no land mask or collection restrictions.