Seattle (June 1, 2020) – Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today signed an Emergency Order to place another temporary citywide curfew tonight at 6 p.m., June 1 to 5 a.m., June 2. During these hours, residents and visitors should remain in their home to the extent possible and should refrain from traveling in and through the entire City of Seattle. The curfew is intended to prevent violence and widespread property damage, and to prevent the further community spread of COVID-19 through continued gathering. The City encourages all residents to sign up for Alert Seattle to receive notifications about the curfew directly to their mobile device.
“On Sunday, we saw significantly more peaceful demonstrations, and a noted decrease in violence, property destruction, and theft compared to Saturday; however some violence, property destruction and theft continues in different parts of the City, and cities across America. I am grateful to all those who continue to grieve, express anger, and demand change in a way that does not hurt others, and I remind all those who seek to come to Seattle to engage in chaos and destruction that their actions will not be tolerated,” said Mayor Durkan. “Tonight, we will have another temporary curfew to protect the health and safety of our residents. When the Chief of Police says Mayor: I need a curfew to protect the residents and keep our community safe, I believe she is in the best position to make this recommendation.”
“The Seattle Police Department supports the Mayor in continuing the curfew. People who are outside their homes – conducting essential business or grocery shopping – will typically comply with a curfew order and go home,” said Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best. “A curfew gives officers an additional tool to safely discourage large gatherings and to disperse those who may be intent on participating in criminal acts. Thus far, no arrests been made on the curfew and we hope that will be the case today.I strongly believe that maintaining a curfew is necessary for public safety.”
The Mayor implemented a citywide curfew on Saturday, May 30 as pockets of demonstrations quickly escalated downtown and in surrounding neighborhoods, and fires proliferated. The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) was temporarily unable to safely access multiple fire incidents. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) has made zero arrests for curfew violation, and it will continue to be primarily used as a tool to encourage crowds to voluntarily disperse and keep streets and roads accessible for first responders to reach emergencies.
All residents who are out today should keep in mind impacts to roads and transit service could make it more difficult to get home. The City encourages residents to follow @kcmetrobus, @SoundTransit, @SDOTtraffic, and @wsdot_traffic on Twitter for updates on transit service and road closures. King County Metro and Sound Transit are both operating at reduced services because of COVID-19, so residents should check updated schedules regularly.
The City acknowledges that Saturday’s curfew notification came with short notice. SPD recently published a timeline that shows Saturday’s rapid escalation of incidents that led to the decision. The City is continuing to broadcast information about the curfew early and often, in multiple languages.
The temporary curfew does not impact people who need to commute to work during these hours, people experiencing homelessness, people in a medical emergency or people in a dangerous situation, first responders, health care workers, and the news media. In addition, the curfew does not require businesses to close while it is in effect, though businesses may close at their choosing.
Residents can find a Frequently Asked Questions document regarding the temporary curfews here.
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