Mayor Durkan announces third night of citywide curfew in Seattle

SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced a third night of a citywide curfew as officials prepare for continued demonstrations over the death of George Floyd.

The curfew is in effect from 6 p.m. Monday to 5 a.m. Tuesday.

Durkan was joined by Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best and Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scoggins in a press conference discussing the past few days of both peaceful protests and looting.

She started her remarks by saying that at the core, the most important part of these events was the death of George Floyd.

“The calls for justice are real and justified, and I want to emphasize that the message of protesters that we need to do better to end structural racism and police violence was not drowned out,” Durkan said.

The mayor spoke about the need for a “culture of continuous improvement and examination” both in Seattle and the country at large.

All of the speakers emphasized that while the vast majority of protesters who gathered at Westlake Park on Saturday evening were peaceful, the events escalated to a point that they believe warranted a police response.

Durkan pointed out in particular the burning of cars, throwing of Molotov cocktails and protesters blocking traffic on the freeway.

"We know people with ill intent are hijacking these demonstrations" and officers must respond when needed, Best said.

However, if people feel that Seattle police officers acted inappropriately or with undue force, there is a formal process to lodge complaints.

"We are proud of our department but part of that pride comes from knowing we have a system to hold people accountable," Durkan said.

Durkan also spoke about the importance of practicing social distancing and wearing face masks while protesting, and encouraged protesters to get tested if they start experiencing symptoms.

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