The History of American Curfew Laws

There had been several nights of protests over the police killing of George Floyd before Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf issued a curfew as a “last resort.” What had started as a peaceful solidarity march devolved when some protesters broke from the crowd and began smashing windows.
By the time Schaaf made her announcement on June 1 to ban some people from going outside after 8 p.m., stores had been burglarized, cars set on fire, and tear gas deployed by police. “We did not make this decision lightly,” Schaaf said in a press release, “and we are mindful that a curfew is a serious tool ...