City officials place curfew on downtown streets after protests

Diana R Fuentes, Staff writer

Updated 8:09 am CDT, Sunday, May 31, 2020

Saying the city doesn’t want a repeat of the vandalism spree that swept Houston Street after the peaceful Black Lives Matter rally Saturday, Mayor Ron Nirenberg has imposed a temporary curfew on downtown San Antonio.

No one is allowed on the streets of the downtown business district from 11:30 p.m. Saturday until 6 a.m. Sunday and from 10 p.m. Sunday until 6 a.m. Monday.

“This gives another tool for our responders, our police department, to make sure we’re preventing any additional criminal behavior,” Nirenberg said at a midnight news conference with Police Chief William McManus and City Manager Erik Walsh.

First responders, media, the homeless and people traveling to and from work, seeking medical attention and fleeing dangerous situations are exempt.

Violations are punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.

“We have a great tradition of advancing civil rights and nonviolent protest,” Nirenberg said.

“Unfortunately, because of a few folks, that’s not going to be the story in the morning. It’s going to be about the broken windows. It’s going to be about the criminal mischief. That’s a disservice to the cause that people were assembled for today.”

Nirenberg and McManus both decried the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer who has since been charged with murder in Floyd’s death.

“The video of Mr. Floyd was sickening,” McManus said. “That is the opinion of every major city police chief. There was no excuses — nothing that would mitigate what was done to Mr. Floyd. That set law enforcement back eons. The delicate relationship that we have with the community is pushed back to the dark ages. Now we’ve got to work to get it back.”