At Least 40 Cities in 20 States Are under Nighttime Curfew, as Thousands March during Daylight

June 2, 2020 (EIRNS)—As of this evening, at least 40 cities in 20 states have curfews, in an attempt to avert violent outbreaks amidst the demonstrations since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, by police officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. On Thursday, June 4, will be a memorial service in Minneapolis for Mr. Floyd; on Saturday, June 6, will be a public viewing and private family service in Raeford, N.C.; and on Monday, June 8 in Houston will be a public memorial.

As of this writing, huge pre-curfew marches and rallies for justice and in Floyd’s memory are underway coast to coast, from Los Angeles, to Chicago, to New York City.

The case of New York City particularly stands out. In a press conference today, Gov. Andrew Cuomo pointed to the “disgrace” that occurred last night when New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio, not only refused to deploy the National Guard, but also restrained the 38,000 members of the New York Police Department. With a curfew that began only at 11:00 p.m., chaos reigned in the city. Cuomo said that for now, he’s decided against intervening to “displace” DeBlasio and take over himself, which he has the authority to do, but indicated that now the curfew will begin at 7:00 p.m., extending through June 7, and that DeBlasio has now agreed to deploy all of the New York police necessary, but not yet the National Guard.

There are reports from across the country, of “outsiders”—including organized groups—being responsible for deliberately inciting and conducting the violence seen in recent nights. Among the precautions in Washington, D.C., a fence was erected last night around Lafayette Park across from the White House. In many cities, officials held press conferences over the past few days, questioning what larger organizations the violent groups are part of.

For example, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said yesterday that he has conferred with other mayors on this, and they are all finding the same thing. His police chief, Scott Schubert said yesterday, “Those people in those groups have one thing in mind, and that’s not to support what the actual protest is for. They’re there to cause violence, they’re there to cause injury and property damage. That’s what they do. And you’ve seen it across the country.” The groups include Antifa, Boogaloo Bois, and others.