A juvenile curfew was imposed in Washington DC on Saturday after a Halloween night of misbehavior. The Executive Office of the Washington DC Mayor announced on November 1 restrictions on the movement of persons under the age of 18 during the night for the next few days due to the disturbances in recent weeks.
The decision follows Halloween-related incidents where youths have been fighting, blocking streets and threatening public safety. “The behavior on Halloween night — which included youths fighting, blocking streets and moving into commercial businesses in large groups, endangering themselves and others in the area — follows several weekends of similar youth behavior in neighborhoods across the county,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement.
Curfew time: From 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM
Last date of curfew: November 5
In a post on X, Muriel Bowser said: “We are declaring a limited curfew for minors in Washington, DC. Effective immediately, all minors under the age of 18 are subject to a curfew from 11pm to 6am, which will last until 11/5.”
Muriel Bowser clarified the reason for the curfew, adding: “It is in response to several weeks of disorderly behavior by juveniles that have put them and others at risk.”
This comes after police arrested five youths on October 31 and one officer suffered minor injuries.
In addition to the curfew, the police will define special zones where there is a high risk of rioting. These locations will have a longer curfew, starting at 6:00 p.m.
In addition, the notice warns young people against declaring a temporary curfew zone in the event of a group gathering of more than seven young people, citing a threat to “the safety of youth, residents or the public”.
