Contra Costa County has imposed a curfew starting tonight at 8 p.m. to tomorrow at 5 a.m. due to civil unrest since the killing of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis.
The curfew will occur nightly from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. until further notice, the county said.
According to the new rule, no one can be in the streets, alleys, parks or other public areas between the hours of 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. unless they are public safety personnel. Any violation of the order is a misdemeanor and violators may be subject to immediate arrest, the order states.
The curfew comes after the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a proclamation of local emergency on Tuesday.
“Civil unrest in the form of riots and looting have arisen from protests in response to the tragic death of an unarmed man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, while being detained by a police officer,” according to the proclamation. “The majority of protestors have acted peacefully and lawfully. But some protests throughout the nation, including in cities such as Walnut Creek, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, have given rise to injuries, looting, and property destruction.”
County Administrator David J. Twa, who serves as the Administrator of Emergency Services, said it’s important for residents to “stay home in the evenings and at night to stay safe.”
“These are challenging times. The sorrow and pain that have filled our hearts here in our Bay Area home cannot be denied,” said Supervisor Candace Andersen. “The need and right to protest and be heard are ones that we all support. Today’s emergency proclamation and curfew order will help the county respond to looting, vandalism and any violence that should not be part of peaceful protests. That we do not support, as they only hurt our communities. We want peaceful protests, and we want all members of the public to be safe.”
See the full language in the order here.
