The unprecedented 8 p.m. curfew imposed by Mayor London Breed on Sunday will come to an end after four consecutive nights, lifting at 5 a.m. on Thursday, June 4.
Breed announced the lifting of the curfew on Twitter Wednesday, saying, "The protests we have seen in this city and across the country are for an important cause and our city will continue to facilitate any and all peaceful demonstrations."
"Following Saturday night, it was important for the safety of our residents to ensure that we could prevent the violence and vandalism that had taken place, but we know that the overwhelming majority of people out protesting are doing so peacefully and we trust that will continue," Breed says. "As I said at the rally at City Hall on Monday, I am Mayor of San Francisco, but I am a black woman first. I know what it is like to experience injustice, and as someone who grew up here I am well aware that we have our own legacy of racism to reckon with and rectify."
Following Saturday night, it was important for the safety of our residents to ensure that we could prevent the violence and vandalism that had taken place, but we know that the overwhelming majority of people out protesting are doing so peacefully and we trust that will continue.
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) June 3, 2020
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Tuesday debated for hours about whether or not to approve the mayor's indefinite curfew, ultimately tabling the discussion until Thursday, and leaving open the possibility the curfew would simply expire on Sunday without their unanimous approval.
As KPIX reports, Supervisor Aaron Peskin was one of the most concerned about the indefinite order, saying, "I don’t feel like I want to sign a blank check. It’s frankly an extraordinary thing in our First Amendment-based society to do this. This can’t go on for very long."
Also on Tuesday, the ACLU began calling for an end to curfews statewide, saying that the curfews were too broad, and the "wrong way to handle disruptions to what have been otherwise peaceful protests."
San Francisco will thus be under curfew one more night, tonight, and Mayor Breed is hoping that the worst of the illegal activity and looting have passed — though across the Bay in Vallejo the National Guard was called in just last night to quell significant chaos there.
"I hope to see that in the coming weeks, months, and years, that the people of San Francisco continue to advocate for real change across our country," Breed said. "We will be right there with you."
Photo: Roxann C
